Fake Me
by ReachingOutFES
Summary: "Who am I...? Who are you...? We're all searching for our own identity, but... How many of us truly reach self-actualization?" (Co-Written with Gin Nanashi). Read and Review!
1. Prologue: Recall

**Author's Note:** Text that appears as **_this _**(bolded and italicized) refers to the "episode" title. Anyway... Welcome my beloved readers to another story of mine. After witnessing _KazuyaYamura_'s Persona 4 Extend and _Ari Moriarty_'s fanfic 'world' that are both based somewhat after the events of both 3 and 4, I couldn't help myself but write a story like this as well. For the setting, it is absolutely only a few days after the events of** Persona 4 Arena**. I'm warning people now that it is not going to be too long since I believe that I could only drag it out for only **12 or 13 chapters**. Thanks to _Gin Nanashi_ once more for beta reading and editing as I tell this story. I actually had this story in mind since December last year, but I decided to rework it as this story. I hope you are not disappointed with what I come up with... I promise you that Minako **will** make an appearance, but not now since this is a prologue after all! So please **Read/Favorite/Follow/Review** or I feel that I am not appealing to you and this discourages me to write... Enjoy!

* * *

**Monday, May 07, 2012**

* * *

_I better get going._

Yu Narukami glanced distractedly over at the clock as he slipped his shoes on.

_Ah shoot, it's almost eight already!_

It's been a few days since he had returned from his visit to his second family and precious friends in Inaba.

_Should've set my alarm clock earlier..._

He grimaced at how that tiny detail slipped his mind last night before shaking his head.

_Oh well, no use crying over spilled milk now._

Unlike his year in the countryside, Yu found his life in Tokyo to be rather hectic given the fast pace of the city but, like all else, he simply took everything thrown at him in calm stride just as he had with that ordeal during Golden Week...

Even though he was currently sprinting like a mad man to catch his train.

Just barely squeezing through the closing doors, Yu breathed a sigh of relief and leaned against the nearby pole.

_Getting to school here can be such a hassle..._

Rubbing the back of his neck, the gray-haired male gazed out of the window, watching as the scenery changed into a blur of colors due to the train's speed and trying to ignore the bodies pressing against him.

_So crowded..._

A random elbow dug itself into his ribs and he held back a flinch.

_I'd forgotten how packed the train gets in the morning..._

Yu couldn't help but sigh at his predicament.

_I miss Inaba already..._

* * *

_**Prologue: Recall**_

* * *

Stepping off of the train, Yu sought out the nearest clock and smiled in relief as it read 8:17 AM.

_Whew, I still have 13 minutes._

Just then, his phone vibrated.

Reaching into his pocket, he took out his phone and flipped it open before brightening up at the caller ID: Yosuke Hanamura.

Hitting the answer button, Yu lifted his cell to his ear and immediately heard–

"Hey, Partner! How's life back in the city? I know it can get pretty crowded," Yosuke greeted him cheerfully.

"It's all right," Yu replied cooly with a small smile, "Although you do have me wondering as to why you're calling me this early in the morning."

His best friend simply laughed, "It's nothing really! I was just wondering if you're alright, that's all," his tone turned a bit sheepish, "I mean, it's easy to keep track of everyone here in Inaba, but... Who will have your back in Tokyo?"

"No matter the distance, we'll always have each other's back," the leader stated, "You, me and everyone else know that by heart, right?"

"Right!"

Yu could just imagine Yosuke rubbing his nose in slight embarrassment while grinning confidently.

"Still, it's too bad that you were just here for a few days... We all miss ya already," the brunet admitted before clearing his throat, "Well, anyway, I'm glad to hear that you're okay and– Oh crap! I seriously have to take a leak! Gotta run!"

"Talk to you later," Yu replied simply with no little amusement as he heard a crash, a yelp and the click signaling the end of his call.

_Same old Yosuke._

He chuckled softly and flipped the phone close, feeling a bit wistful.

_Too bad we couldn't talk any longer..._

Lost in thought, Yu slammed straight into another body and stumbled backwards, feeling his cell slip through his fingers.

_Shoot...!_

As if in slow motion, Yu could do nothing but watch as his cellphone drop to the floor...

...until a hand caught it in midair.

Surprised, he looked up.

A blue-haired boy, slightly shorter than he, held Yu's beloved phone (filled with the phone numbers of all of his loved ones) out to him.

"Thank you," Yu bowed his head in gratitude, taking the cell back, and looked back up again, "I really app–!"

_He's...gone...?_

Looking around, the gray-haired male furrowed his brows in confusion as he returned his phone to his pocket.

_Huh... I wonder who he is..._

He ran his fingers through his hair and frowned a bit as he tried to recall the other's appearance.

_His eyes were gray…_

Similar to his own but lighter in shade.

_Or maybe silver would describe them better?_

After a random moment of debating the actual shade, he took a glance around and almost froze when he saw the time.

_I'm gonna be late!_

It was currently 8:28 AM.

And, once more, Yu Narukami found himself sprinting like a mad man...

.

.

.

He ended up arriving during the middle of his first class and was forced to stand outside of the room as punishment but the time after that flew by quickly until the bell rang for the final time that day.

Stretching a bit, Yu was distracted from the kink in his neck when his phone beeped.

Flipping it open, he noticed that he'd received a text message from his mother, stating:

_We'll be home late again tonight. Can you clean up around the house when you're free? Do take care and remember to not let strangers into the house! ~Mom_

For a moment, Yu was entertained with the idea that his mother seemed to think he was still a child before he shook it off and packed his bag.

Upon arriving at the complex that his little family lived in, he vaguely wondered why their apartment was on the 10th floor before deciding that it would probably make for good training to run up the stairs over the weekend...

In the meantime, he decided to just ride the elevator up.

Reaching into his breast pocket, he paused upon feeling two separate keys and pulled the larger one out.

_The Contractor's Key..._ Yu smiled fondly at it. _I can't believe I'd forgotten about this._

With a shake of his head, he placed the old-fashioned key back into his pocket and took out the smaller house key instead.

Closing the door behind him, Yu slipped off his dirtied outer school jacket since someone had spilled their coffee on him earlier.

Randomly pawing through his closet, he pulled out the closest article and paused before laughing a bit.

_Old habits do die hard._

Regardless, he decided to wear his old Yasogami High School uniform and quickly slipped into it.

Smoothing out the nonexistent wrinkles, Yu stepped out of his room and into the living when his battle instincts screamed at him.

Diving to the side, he rolled as something moved in a dark blue from the corner of his eyes but miscalculated and stumbled over the coffee table.

A sharp sting exploded at the base of his head and he hissed in pain as he felt his assailant grab the front of his shirt and slammed him against something.

Peering through the blur of his vision, Yu saw a mesh of light and dark that was gradually sharpening before his eyes widened when he felt himself sink backwards.

_This is...!_

Like ripples of water, the flatscreen of the TV wavered in concentric circles as parts of his body passed through the usually solid barrier.

_How is this possible? I thought it only works in Inaba!_

Forcing back his alarm, Yu turned back and grabbed his attacker's black tie before flinching out of surprise as his vision finally cleared.

"You're...!"

Silver eyes stared blankly at him as the male tilted his head, causing his dark blue hair to fall over his right eye, before he shoved forward.

"Wait–!"

But he couldn't say more as his vision was filled with familiar white and black squares and his head fuzzed a bit with the same heady sensation he felt whenever he entered the TV World...

And then he slammed into the floor with a pained grunt.

_That...was not my best landing._

His temple throbbed with pain and black dots were creeping up on his vision.

_Damn it..._

He could feel his consciousness slipping away and tightened his fist around his newly acquired spoil.

_Later...I'll get...Teddie...to...sniff him..out..._

With that final thought, he finally succumbed to exhaustion just as a voice called out to him.

"Hey! Are you okay...?!"

* * *

**Next Scent**

* * *

"Could this be...the TV World?"

"I don't even know how I got here..."

"Here they come!"

"Persona!"

* * *

_**Awaken**_

* * *

"I guess you and I are the same, after all."


	2. Awaken

**Author's Note: **I read your review _KazuyaYamura _and yes I will explain it but not now since it is too early. I promise a long explanation once I'm done. Thanks to_ Gin Nanashi_ for editing as usual :P. You don't know how much I appreciate it! :). Please read the **Author's Note** in the end please! It would help clear something up! Enjoy!

* * *

**Current Time: Unknown**

* * *

_What...happened...?_

Disoriented, Yu tried to recall what he had been doing to wind up in this darkness that currently surrounded him.

_I was…fighting, right...?_

His head throbbed and he felt exhausted but he wanted, needed, to know the situation he was in.

"Hey..."

_This voice..._ His brows furrowed as he looked around. _Where is it coming from...?_

"Hey. Can you hear me...?"

_It sounds like…a girl?_

A sharp pain pricked at his mind followed by a falling sensation and Yu groaned softly before slowly blinking to clear away the haze in his vision.

"You're finally awake."

His eyes snapped towards the speaker and met with deep, rich, red orbs.

_Like fire... (Like blood...)_

A look of relief was evident on her face as she smiled and leaned back a bit when he sat up.

Rubbing his forehead, Yu took the time to look her over. She wore her auburn hair up in a messy ponytail with six silver hair-clips styled in the roman numeral 22 on her left side and had a cute face with long lashes. Unfortunately, he didn't recognize the school uniform she wore.

"Is something wrong?" the young woman asked, tilting her head a bit, "Are you still hurting?"

Yu blinked before gently shaking his head and answering with a smile, "No. My headache's pretty much gone now."

Turning away, he checked his surroundings, realizing that he was at a train station before noting the oddness of the situation.

_What's with the sky?_

The atmosphere around him was dyed a murky green color though the full moon retained its beautiful silver shade.

_Geez, it's like a ghost town here..._

Standing up, he then looked down and a shiver ran up his spine at the sight.

_What the..!_

The whole floor was literally a road of televisions, screening a yellow hue and flickering with static.

"Could this be," he finally asked in a bit of a daze, "The TV World?"

* * *

**_Awaken_**

* * *

"The...TV world?"

Yu looked over at his short companion and frowned a bit at her confusion.

_Did she also get thrown in?_

His stomach churned uncomfortably at the thought of another criminal using the TV World to carry out misdeeds.

_Or maybe..._

His thoughts turned to his friend Teddie, a Shadow who had gained an Ego and became close enough to being a human, before he shook his head to clear the thought and instead smiled at her.

_I'll figure it out later._

"I'm sorry," he rubbed the back of his neck, "I haven't seen you in here before so I doubt you know what this place is," before introducing himself with a vague bow, "My name's Yu Narukami. You are...?"

"Minako! I'm Minako Arisato!" she chirped, bouncing a bit on the balls of her feet, "It's nice to meet you!"

Yu offered her a handshake but she hesitated before shaking her head.

"Err... Sorry but I'm not too comfortable being physical with guys," she blushed and rubbed her wrist sheepishly, "It's not my best trait but…" she trailed off and a dazed look appeared in her eyes for a second before she shook her head, "Anyway, can you tell me more about this...TV World, you said?"

Graciously allowing her to change subjects, Yu quickly explained the nature of this world: the case last year, how people could get thrown in by Persona-users, how they'd have to face their Shadow selves, how Shadows become Personas when accepted, everything that he could think of really...

"Wow..." Minako breathed slowly as she took everything in before shaking her head, "That is so much crazier than what I've been through," she paused before furrowing her brows, "Then again…" a lost look appeared in her eyes, "I don't even know how I got here..."

A sigh left her lips as she looked putout before she quickly shook her head and pumped a fist, cheering,

"So we'll just have to stick together until we figure it out!"

Smiling a bit at her optimism, Yu nodded in agreement before surveying his surroundings again.

He hadn't noticed it until now but the trail of TV screens led to a massive and eerily green tower in the distance of this city.

"Minako-san," Yu called out to her and pointed at the object of his interest, "Do you know what that is?"

She followed his finger and blinked before nodding.

"Yeah, that's Tartarus," she squinted a bit, "It's also known as the Tower of Demise."

A chill descended over the gray-haired male as he felt unsettled by the name.

"...Hey, Yu-san?" Minako pursed her lips and looked down, "You said that this world takes on the reality of the person who's thrown in here...those who do not have the power of Persona... Is that all there is to it?"

He frowned thoughtfully for a moment before shaking his head and answering, "I wouldn't say that's all there is to it. I'm sure that there's more that my friends and I haven't figured out yet. But that's not important right now," he clenched his fist several times, "We have to find a way out of here. It might not be long until Shadows start appearing."

_What I wouldn't do for my sword right about now... _Yu thought mournfully.

"Hm... Well, if we're getting out of here, then we should find a place of interest," Minako hummed a bit, "Usually an exit is placed somewhere convenient so it shouldn't be too hard to find," she fell silent for a few moments in thought before clapping her hands, "Okay then. We might as well find the highest spot there is here so that we can get a bird's eye view of everything. It might give us a clue."

"Good thinking," Yu complimented her before suggesting, "Rooftops make pretty good viewpoints of any city."

"Agreed! And I have a place in mind," she practically sang before suddenly frowning, "Oh, wait, that place is no good right now... It's a Shadow's nest..."

_A Shadow's nest…?_

The male looked at her in confusion as she gazed somberly at the distant tower.

_Hm…_

"...Looks like you know this place pretty well," Yu spoke up and caught her attention before asking, "Is there anyone else here with you that know of Tartarus and this town?"

"Someone else...?" Minako whispered and her eyes glazed over as she fell into deep thought, "..."

Suddenly, the televisions below them went from their usual static and yellow screens to a red warning screen, flashing:

**ENEMY ADVANTAGE!**

"This isn't good," Yu frowned and tensed, "Get ready, Minako-san!"

Beats resounded in the distance and steadily became louder as whatever Shadows approached.

_Where are they coming from…?_

The ground began to vibrate–

_…Ah!_

–before the screens abruptly shattered open, flinging pieces of glass into the air, as black goop flowed out.

The Shadows had finally surfaced.

And they were ones that Yu recognized from his first venture into the TV World.

From what Teddie had told him, these were called _Slipping Hablerie_ and their most notable trait was their long, disgusting tongue.

The two teenagers were quick to find themselves surrounded by all ten as they backed up to each other.

"You know what?" Minako pointed out rather randomly, "I hadn't been attacked by Shadows before so why now?"

"Who knows?" Yu answered, oddly calm despite the severe disadvantage, "But it looks like we're supposed to be their next lunch," he rotated his shoulders a few times to loosen up, "Say, can you fight?"

A surprisingly cocky smirk played on her lips before the Shadows dashed towards their targets.

"Here they come!"

A blue tarot card of the Fool arcana formed in mid-air and fluttered down onto Yu's palm.

"Persona!"

He crushed it and glass shattered, causing blue fragments of light dance in the air, before a large silhouette appeared behind him.

Yu couldn't help but smirk up at Izanagi before his eyes caught sight of a glint of metal.

_A gun?!_

Before he could even think of tackling the seemingly suicidal brunette, Minako swiftly pointed the Evoker at her temple and fired.

"Come, Seth!"

Shattering glass and blue lights swirled around her before taking on the form of a great ebony dragon that released a terrifying roar.

Yu couldn't comment of her strange method as barely a second passed before the Hableries charged at them.

Quickly drawing his sword, Izanagi swung at the Shadows, slicing through them effortlessly.

Gray eyes glanced over at his new partner and saw an explosion of fire burn through the rest as Seth released a vicious Agidyne, towering protectively over his mistress.

The enemies dissipated in a screech of failure.

And both Personas disappeared in a soft blue glow.

"Well, that was fun," Minako chirped as she took her place beside Yu before tilting her head back a bit to look thoughtfully up at him, "I guess you and I are the same, after all."

_The same?_ Yu asked out of confusion, "How so?"

"You're a Wild Card. I'm one too," she said as if it were obvious before placing her hand over her chest, "I felt it... Our powers were resonating in that battle."

"But," Yu continued slowly, "I only summoned one Persona just now."

She hummed but said no more on that matter as she turned around, "We should find a place to see the whole city."

Yu wasn't satisfied to just leave it as is but their current situation was more pressing.

"...Alright then," he said after a moment of silence, "You should lead the way since you seem to know this place like the back of your hand," he eyed her carefully, "Can I trust you to do the leading?"

She smiled wistfully, "This reminds me of the good old days," before turning a bright grin onto him, "You have my word, Yu-kun! I won't let you down!"

Despite his wariness, he couldn't help but grin at her enthusiasm.

"I'll be counting on you then, Minako-san."

That said, they set off in a direction away from the train station as a bell tolled in the distance.

* * *

**Next Scent**

* * *

"Sensei~!"

"I can't get through."

"Who do we find to get us out?"

"I was sure that there was something over there just now but…"

* * *

**_Irregularity_**

* * *

"Don't worry. I've got your back."

* * *

**Author's Note: **One big question I'm going to get is why Minako didn't summon Orpheus this chapter. It is going to be more plot relevant later on, but now enjoy the Personas that I used when I played Persona 3 Portable! Please don't hate me for this...


	3. Irregularity

**Author's Note: **A round of applause for Gin Nanashi again for editing the chapter! Hooray and throws confetti! A shout out to Yami No Majou077, KazuyaYamura, Guest who is known by '?', and Yuruya for reviewing so far! Makes me wonder why others aren't reviewing... I know I should give it time, but please people don't be shy! Another thing has come to my attention... There are more questions than answers in this story and I promise a detailed explanation in the end! Quick question! Are the previews worth writing in the end? Tell me in your reviews! Enjoy!

* * *

_TVs, TVs, TVs, and, oh, look, more TVs…_

Yu almost wanted to bang his head against something at the sheer amount of televisions found in this area, from the road that they stood on to the large windows in the passing buildings.

_If this world were to be personified, then it'd be a narcissist without a doubt._

A sigh, barely audible, left his lips as his eyes landed on yet another screen of a murky yellow hue and flickering with static.

_I'm half-tempted to stick around just to see if Narcissus will pop out…_

Whereas Yu was tense and on edge because of this new area, Minako was skipping forward and whistling a cheery tune (_Anata no terebi ni jika-net Tanaka~ Minna no you no tomo~!_) as they approached the coast.

It wasn't too far from the station though the only ways to cross the water were by either the monorail or the bridge in the distance.

Now no longer surrounded on all sides by television sets, Yu relaxed a bit but continued to keep an eye on the screens below while looking around.

The waves rolled gentle as the water glistened beneath the moonlight.

"At least it's still blue," Minako murmured, more to herself than to him, as she gazed into the distance of the ocean.

This peaked his interest as he glanced over at her and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

She blinked, as if confused, before smiling sheepishly, "Oh, right. I forgot to explain the Dark Hour to you," she paused to collect her thoughts before continued, "The Dark Hour… It's an hour hidden within the 24-hour day that everyone's used to and takes place during 12:00 AM," she tapped her chin, "When someone has the Potential, and once the clock strikes midnight, they find themselves immersed in the Dark Hour," she waved a hand at their surroundings, "The sky turns green and the moon becomes yellow and water turns into blood, hence my comment," a frown appeared on her lips, "But, for some reason, the moon here is still silver and the ocean hasn't turned red…"

"Well, that's the TV World for you," Yu said with a shrug, "Nothing really makes much sense here."

_Nor does the Dark Hour,_ he admitted in his thoughts, _A time anomaly, huh…_

"I suppose," Minako conceded and stretched before sighing, "Anyway, we still have to get out of here."

"True," the gray-haired male rubbed his neck as they continued ambling along before a thought popped into mind, "By the way…"

She looked up at him quizzically.

"This has been bothering me for a while, but…" he trailed off as his gaze fell onto the hoister around her hips, "What exactly is that thing you used?"

Minako blinked in surprise before musing aloud, "Were you surprised when I pulled it out? Perhaps you thought I was suicidal?"

Yu coughed uncomfortably, taking interest in the flickering screens once more and she laughed.

Patting the handle of the gun-like object, she parted her lips to explain when–

"Sensei~!"

–she was suddenly interrupted by a strange-looking creature.

* * *

**_Irregularity_**

* * *

It–no–_he_ appeared to be a bear of some sort with blue fur in a red-and-white jumpsuit-like attire.

Yu looked surprised but also happy with a hint of relief before–

"Whoa~!"

–sweating when the mascot tripped and came rolling down towards the two, nearly bowling them over had Yu not placed himself in front of Minako and stopped the out-of-control Kuma.

"Teddie," the gray-haired male greeted with a smile as he pulled said bear onto his feet, "How've you been?"

Comically large eyes wobbled before Teddie glomped the taller male, wailing, "S-S-S-Sensei~!"

"Oof!" Yu almost stumbled but caught himself and petted the sniffling Kuma on the head.

"I was beary worried about you!" he cried rivers of tears, "Nana-chan too! We tried calling you but you never picked up and then I thought I smelled you here and– and– Waaaaaah~!"

Gray eyes softened as Yu continued soothing the bear, "As you can see, Teddie, I'm fine," he paused as his friend sniffled one last time before asking, "How long has it been since I disappeared?"

"Well…" Teddie started when his attention was caught by a pair of curious red eyes, "Uh…"

Tilting her head, Minako blinked curiously at him before smiling and chirping, "Hello! My name's Minako Arisato! Nice to meet you…?"

Abruptly releasing his self-proclaimed Sensei, Teddie put on his best smile and purred, "I'm Teddie and it's _beary_ nice to meet you, Mina-chan~!" he practically swooned, "Ah~ Why, your name moves me so!"

Swiftly tap-dancing closer, he slid right up beside her and cooed, "A lovely lady like yourself shouldn't be here. I'll gladly show you a way out and perhaps you would care to join me on a date later?"

Yu chuckled softly at how much of a flirt the bear was before noticing an oddly nostalgic smile on the girl's lips.

"Sorry, but I'm not in the mood for a date" Minako petted Teddie on the head in apology when he slumped over a bit, "I just want to get out of here if I can."

Seeing the bear melt under her touch, Yu cleared his throat and asked, "Teddie, can you make an exit for us?"

His voice snapped Teddie out of his daze and the bear cheered, "Of course! Anything for Sensei and Mina-Chan!"

Stepping back a bit, the bear tapped his foot in three quick steps and–

Poof!

–three vintage televisions suddenly appeared out of thin air.

Each was neatly stacked, one atop another, and was large enough for an average person to fit inside.

"Here you go!" Teddie chirped with pride, "One exit for your use!"

Smiling, Yu walked up to the familiar screens and reached out a hand–

_…!_

–only to touch glass and go no farther.

"What the…?"

Baffled, the tall male turned to Teddie to see an equally mystified look on his face.

"This…is weird," Yu admitted with a small frown, "I can't get through."

_But why?_ he wondered, _I can still use my Persona so I _should_ be able to go through._

"Let me try," Minako piped up as she walked up to him.

Placing a hand against the cold screen, she pushed her weight against the TV before frowning when nothing happened.

"Are you sure we can get out of here like this?" she finally asked, backing off with a puzzled look on her face.

"This is beary, _beary_ strange," Teddie frowned as he toddled over to them and pressed his own paw against the screen before jumping when his hand went through, "Huh? It works just fine for me."

Yu hummed a bit in thought and poked the screen alongside the bear but was met with the barrier again before he looked over at the girl.

"Hey, Minako-san, can you hold Teddie's hand and see if you can get through that way?"

Confused but willing, Minako nodded and linked her arm with the bear, ignoring the way he nuzzled against her before copying the tall male but was also met with resistance.

"It's not working," she sighed with a hint of disappointment, "Are we doing something wrong?"

Her tone snapped Teddie out of his daydream and she dropped her grip on him, stepping back a bit.

"I'm not sure," the bear admitted as his ears drooped, "This has _never_ happened before. It's _always_ worked and yet Sensei and Mina-Chan can't get through…"

Dispirited, he began rolling around on the floor, sighing sadly, "Teddie isn't being beary helpful… "

Red eyes softened at the sight and Minako crouched down, patting the bear on the head in a effort to comfort him.

Suddenly, Teddie sat up and looked up at them, asking, "By the way, Sensei, how did you even get in here?"

"I was thrown in here," Yu answered with a frown, "As for who it was…"

_Hm…?_

Trailing off, he furrowed his brows in confusion.

_That's odd… I…_

"Sensei…?"

Teddie was looking up at him in worry as was Minako.

Rubbing his neck sheepishly, Yu pushed back his feelings of frustration as he admitted, "I…can't seem to remember who did it. I know I saw the person but…it's a blur now. All I _can_ remember is that I went through the television back in my apartment."

"Oooooh~ No wonder you can't get through!" Teddie exclaimed as his ears perked up again, "All of the TVs in Inaba are connected to this world without a doubt. But, if someone was able to thrown you in from a TV_outside_ of Inaba, then the only way out of here would likely be through the way you came in!"

He paused and tilted his head, mulling his words over before grinning sheepishly, "Uh, that sounded better in my head."

"Hm… I wish it was that easy," Yu sighed as he crossed his arms, "The only reason we were able to exit the TV World in Inaba was because of _you_, Teddie."

The bear puffed out his chest in pride.

"Since I, and likely Minako-san too, came in here from outside of Inaba… Who do we find to get us out?" Yu asked aloud and Teddie deflated out of confusion, "From what we've grasped, your ability won't work with us since we're…outsiders, so to speak," the bear sputtered at the term but the leader simply continued, "Not to mention, even if the way I came in works as an entrance, that doesn't guarantee that it'll also be an exit. This happened outside of Inaba, after all."

They fell silent as their situation suddenly seemed hopeless without a third party to bring the two teenagers out of the TV World.

_What do we do now?_

Yu clenched his fist and gazed at nothing in particular.

_What _can_ we do?_

"…It's not hopeless," Minako suddenly spoke up as she stared firmly ahead, "I'm sure that there's a way out," she grinned confidently, "We just have to find the strength to light our own way."

Gray eyes blinked at the pep-talk before he chuckled softly.

_Who'd have thought that _I_ would be the one needing encouragement?_

"Alright then," Yu straightened up and turned to the bear, "Teddie, can you get the team together?"

His ears perked up as Teddie bounced in excitement, "Oh, oh! Are we gonna make this into a case, Sensei?"

A smile answered him and the bear cheered, "The Investigation Team is back in action, baby!"

"We'll be counting on you then," Yu said.

Twirling around, Teddie saluted, "Understood, Sensei, Mina-chan! You can count on _this_ beastly bear to get the job done!"

Minako giggled a bit, "Good luck then, Teddie. I'll be cheering for you."

"Oh my~ My beary own cheerleader! I feel like such a star!" Teddie swooned for a moment before sobering and turning to Yu, "By the way, Sensei, can you tell me the exact details of how you came in here? I want to make sure that we'll end up in the same place."

"Do you have a pen and paper then?" Yu asked as he patted himself down, "I'll write down my address just in case."

Like magic, Teddie seemed to pull out the necessary tools from out of nowhere and handed it to his Sensei who took it thankfully.

"...Come to think of it, Teddie," Minako started with a tilt of her head, "How did you find us in the first place?"

The bear puffed up and exclaimed, "Why, the nose knows, of course!"

She giggled at his small joke, "You're pretty amazing, Teddie."

He was almost bursting at the seams with joy and pride from the compliment.

"And done," Yu spoke up as he held the paper out, "Since you can track us, we'll keep searching when we can so...thank you, Teddie."

"I won't fail!" the bear promised with strong conviction before he skipped to his self-made exit and phased through the screen.

The TVs then disappeared in another poof.

Rolling his shoulders a bit, Yu took a cursory glance around and was pleased with the lack of Shadows before looking over at Minako.

A small frown was on her lips as she stared at the spot that Teddie had disappeared from.

Gray eyes softened and Yu placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said confidently, "Teddie's definitely trustworthy. We'll get out of here sooner or later."

She blinked before smiling and agreeing, "Yeah. We're all in this together now, after all."

He nodded before holding back a grimace as an uncomfortable kink in his neck made itself known.

"We should find a place to rest in the meantime," he suggested as he rubbed at the area that twanged, "I'm feeling a bit worn out…"

Her lips parted to reply when Minako suddenly snapped her head in the opposite direction, darting her eyes around them.

"What's wrong?" Yu asked as he followed her gaze, trying to distinguish what had caught her attention.

The young woman pursed her lips for a moment before sighing, "I was sure that there was something over there just now but…I guess it might've been my imagination after all…"

Silent for a moment, Yu stretched out his senses as far as he could but found nothing out of the ordinary…

_Rather, nothing _more_ out of the ordinary anyway…_

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Yu turned back to Minako with a smile.

"Don't worry," he said, "I've got your back."

For a second, she seemed nostalgic before she smiled brightly and pumped a fist, "And I've got yours! You can count on that!"

Confidence fully restored, Minako turned in a direction and took a step forward, "Alrighty then! I know where to find a good rooftop to look from so just follow me, okay?"

"By all means, lead the way," Yu chuckled with a mock bow.

The waves roared in the distance as they continued along their search for an escape from their prison.

* * *

**Next Scent**

* * *

"Home sweet home!"

_It's like they want us alive..._

"I…don't think he regretted being with you."

"…somehow, I doubt your words."

* * *

**_Doubt and Trust_**

* * *

"No way…!"


	4. Doubt and Trust

**Author's Note:** Sorry for keeping you in suspense! Thanks to _Gin Nanashi_ for helping me out! :P I feel sad... you guys know **why**? Anyway, I'm not sure when the next one is up but please **review** in the mean time! I noticed that no one answer my question... I'll repeat it again...** Are the previews worth writing? **Tell me please! Read the author's note in the end for an explanation!

* * *

Time appeared to be frozen.

There was no visible passing from night to day or day to night in the TV world.

It was simply the Dark Hour through and through.

And yet, these obvious facts didn't derail Minako's overall cheerfulness as she traversed the streets that seemed so familiar to her.

Yu, on the other hand, was lost in thought.

_What are the facts so far?_

He knew that someone forced him into the TV World from his apartment.

He knew that he couldn't leave even with the help of Teddie.

He knew that Minako was in a situation similar to, if not the same as, his.

But…

_How _exactly_ did she get in here?_

A frown marred his lips as he recalled her answer.

_"I don't even know how I got here…"_

His eyes trailed from nothing in particular to the short brunette in front of him.

She walked with a bounce in her steps and was humming to a rather upbeat song (_It's demolition~ Wiping all out~ I won't go~ Until it's over~!_).

How she was able to stay so cheerful despite their precarious situation, he didn't know…

Then again, to anyone else, Yu would probably appear just as laid-back.

Perhaps her current demeanor was just an effort to spread some joy?

Regardless, Yu continued to follow her: partially because he didn't know his way around, partially because it was the smart thing to do and partially so that he could keep an eye on her.

_I doubt she's an enemy but…_

Surreptitiously eyeing her, Yu remembered the strange nostalgia that would sometimes appear in her eyes and the little bits of information that she'd let slip without much notice.

_She's definitely hiding _something_._

And it wasn't just her role as a Persona-user.

_Come to think of it…_

"Minako-san," Yu called out to her as they finished crossing the bridge and reached the other side of the coast, "Teddie interrupted you before you finished explaining about your…gun?"

_Not to mention, he never did tell me the time…_

Red eyes looked confused for a second before realization dawned.

"Oh yeah!" Minako ruffled her bangs in an act of embarrassment, "Sorry 'bout that. It totally slipped my mind."

"It's fine," he smiled that smile that always captivated the girls, "So what is it?"

But it went over her head as Minako fiddled with her hoister.

"It's an Evoker," she explained with distant eyes and that nostalgic smile again, "I'm a little fuzzy on the details but," she tapped the side of her head with her index finger, "It's all about overcoming that mental barrier and accepting the unknown, be it yourself or death…"

A chill ran up his spine at her last word as he was yet again reminded of last year's case…

"So the shape is meant to provoke a sense of terror, huh," Yu murmured as he vaguely pieced it together, "Well, it's true that I first summoned mine under extreme stress…"

Minako glanced over at his dazed face before looking up at the full moon.

_Silver like mine..._

She faltered.

_Like…mine…?_

Her head throbbed a bit and she raised a hand to massage her temple under the guise of mussing her bangs.

_Why did I think that…?_

"Is there something wrong?"

She barely held back the urge to jump and instead smiled up at the tall male.

"Sorry. I was just thinking…"

Inwardly perking up, Yu asked airily, "About what?"

"Oh, you know," she replied just as casually, "A bit of this and a bit of that."

A not-pout appeared on his lips and Minako laughed softly.

Understanding that she wouldn't elaborate, Yu moved on and commented, "You know, I didn't realize it before but I think I might've visited this city once."

"Oh?" Minako hummed and looked up at him, "Well, where do you think this place is based on?"

Gray eyes took another look around before he answered, "It's not so much this part but, across the bridge, that area reminds me of Tatsumi Port Island…"

_Although I think some of those shops changed..._

A surprised look was evident on her face before Minako grinned brightly, "In that case, you're absolutely right!"

She twirled around with her arms spread out and explained, "We _were_ on Tatsumi Port Island but, right now, we're in Iwatodai City. I lived here when I was little."

Jumping on the opportunity, Yu asked, "Did you move around a lot?"

"Mm-hm," Minako nodded before explaining a bit somberly, "I was born and raised here until my parents passed away 10 years ago," a pained smile appeared on her lips, "After that, I…jumped around from relative to relative so I didn't make any real friends until I came back here for my second year in high school."

"School?" something clicked in his mind and Yu snapped his head to her, "Do you mean Gekkoukan High?"

She looked stunned for a moment before laughing aloud, "Wow! It's kind of scary how good you are at guessing!"

"Ah, no," Yu rubbed the back of his head before explaining, "It's just that my friends and I went on a study trip there."

"Really?" Minako smiled and joked, "From where? Inaba?"

This time, Yu looked surprised and Minako's jaw dropped.

"Wait, for real?" she squeaked, "Huh… I guess it's a small world after all…"

"Indeed," he smiled wryly, "I attended Yasogami High for a year before I had to move back to Tokyo."

Yu looked at her with even more curiosity, "How'd you guess?"

Ruffling her bangs again, Minako blushed a bit and answered, "I, uh, went there for a training trip. For tennis. Club stuff. Yeah…"

A stilted silence descended over them for a moment before–

"Oh!"

–Minako perked up at the sight of a particular four-story building.

"Home sweet home!"

* * *

**_Doubt and Trust_**

* * *

"Home?" Yu questioned as he looked over the modest but still aesthetically pleasing structure.

"Minatodai Dormitory," Minako explained with a fond smile, "Also known as Iwatodai Dormitory," she turned the doorknob and it opened easily, "I lived here during the school year with my friends," her smile faltered, "But since this isn't the real world, I doubt that anyone's here…"

Noticing that she was trailing off, she shook her head a bit and continued more energetically, "Anyway, this is a pretty tall building so there's a good rooftop where we can overlook the city!"

It was then that Yu noticed how exhausted she looked as her legs trembled a bit.

"You're tired," he stated a bit obviously with a hint of guilt in his voice, "Let's take a break."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," she smiled sheepishly up at him, "I haven't summoned my Persona in a long time so I'd forgotten how tiring it could be."

Stretching a bit, she ushered him in, "Come on then, make yourself at home. You don't have to take your shoes off or anything though."

After closing the door behind her, Minako took the time to take in everything and almost collapsed right then and there.

_Everything's the same…_

Her eyes burned a bit and she blinked away the blurriness in her vision.

"Why don't you rest up a bit?" Yu suggested as he made his way into the kitchen, "I'll take a look and see if I can find something useful."

Thankful that he didn't comment on the lapse in her composure, Minako simply nodded before crashing onto the sofa…

Glancing over at the now-still girl, Yu scratched his cheek awkwardly.

He'd noticed the teariness in her eyes when she'd looked around but thought better than to point it out.

Still, it made him wonder what had happened to put that heartbreaking look on her normally cheerful face.

Aside from that, he was still wondering why an Evoker was necessary for her to summon her Persona when neither he nor his friends required it.

_Then again, maybe it's the result of that Dark Hour she was talking about…?_

Putting that thought aside for a later time, Yu rummaged through the cabinets and the fridge and was delightfully surprised to find edible food.

_It's like they want us alive…_

A frown ghosted his lips before he shook his head and sighed, "At least we won't starve now."

Taking out two water bottles, he shut the fridge door and eyed the clear contents with a critical eye.

_It's not poisoned or anything, is it…?_

He hoped not.

Debating if he should really risk it, Yu walked back into the living room and paused.

Minako was curled up like a sunbathing cat, breathing slowly and evenly.

_Did she fall asleep?_

Tiptoeing closer, he hesitated upon seeing her peaceful expression.

_Do I _really_ want to wake her up?_

Glancing over at the bottles in arm, he decided.

_Yes, yes, I do. (Like hell I'm gonna risk it alone.)_

Crouching down childishly with an arm outstretched, he fully intended to poke her until she woke up when her eyes suddenly snapped open.

Barely suppressing the urge to jump back with a yelp, Yu gave her a strained smile, "You're awake."

Amusement flashed in her eyes as she sat up, chuckling, "Did you think otherwise?"

He had to fight against the urge to fidget like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"I don't know," he finally said, "Maybe you can just sense my extraordinary sexiness?"

That earned him a face full of fluff.

"Sorry," Yu caught the pillow just as it dropped and smiled with a hint of nervousness, "I shouldn't have said that."

She rolled her eyes and held up her hands, to which he tossed the pillow back to her.

Watching her hug the soft material to her chest and curl in a bit on herself, Yu frowned and sat down a little away from her, "Are you okay…?"

She didn't say anything for a moment, staring down at her knees in thought, before whispering, "I think…it's just hit me that we're stuck here…"

His eyes softened and he was about to scoot a bit closer in order to comfort her when he saw her tense a bit.

Immediately backing off, Yu scratched his cheek before mustering up the courage to ask, "You don't have to tell me but… Why are you uncomfortable being around guys?"

Silence reigned and he was about to drop the subject when she held out a hand.

Confused, Yu simply looked at her as she curled her fingers beckoningly.

_Uh… What?_

She huffed and gave him a look, "Water please."

Finally remembering the bottles in arm, he quickly passed one over to her but, before he could warn her of his suspicions, she twisted open the cap and chugged it.

"Aa~!" Minako leaned back with a satisfied smile, "I feel better now~!"

Noticing the deadpanned look that Yu was wearing, she laughed a bit, "Well, at least now you know it's not poisoned or something!"

"You…" A slightly exasperated sigh left his lips as he slumped against the backrest, shaking his head a bit.

"Hehe~ I know I'm so badass," Minako sang teasingly, "No need to praise me so."

For once, he rolled his eyes at her before twisting open his own bottle and taking a sip, silently realizing just how thirsty he was.

They sat in comfortable peace before Minako spoke up,

"About your question…"

Gray eyes looked over at her as he straightened imperceptibly.

"I…knew this guy once," she started reminiscently, "At first glance, you'd think he was a thug or something," a soft laugh left her lips, "But, you know, he's actually a very kind man," followed by a nostalgic smile, "He only spent about a month with us before he landed himself in a coma," pain flickered in her eyes, "Before that, though, I'd spent most of my time with him."

She paused and tapped her bottle against her lips, mumbling a bit, "He used to try so hard to brush me off but I couldn't give up that easily," pink flushed her cheeks, "Something about him just…attracted me, I guess," her lips twisted into something of a smile and something of a frown, "One night, I finally confessed to him and a few nights after that…"

Yu got the picture.

A sigh left her lips as she tilted her head back, whispering with deep-seated grief, "The doctors told us that it was next to impossible he'd ever wake up."

Her eyes were glassy but tears didn't fall and she murmured more to herself than to him, "He knew that our relationship wouldn't end well… That was why he tried denying me… But I was stubborn and just kept pushing," she closed her eyes tiredly, "He knew I'd wind up hurt in the end…that we wouldn't work out…and yet he still…"

"Sometimes I wonder…"

The look of utter desolation on her face made him swallow thickly.

"Did he regret it in the end?"

Yu wasn't sure what to say.

He didn't know him.

He barely knew _her_.

Anything that he'd say would likely sound presumptuous and yet…

"I…don't think he regretted being with you."

Red eyes looked at him and Yu was a bit disturbed to find that he couldn't read them.

"From the sound of it…he cares about you. A lot. And…I don't think anyone would regret loving another. Even if things don't work out so well."

She spent a moment simply looking at him and Yu had to wonder what she saw before she finally cracked a faint smile.

"You speak pretty well," Minako huffed a soft laugh, "I have no doubt in my mind that you've helped plenty of other people before but," her smile gained a certain sharpness to it, "Somehow, I doubt your words."

He fell silent, unsure of where she was going with this, when she suddenly softened.

"Thanks though."

Ignoring how stiff he seemed to be, Minako jumped to her feet with a chirp, "Well then, let's get going! Sitting around all day won't help us get out of here any sooner."

Forcing himself to relax, Yu nodded and stood up before the two of them treaded up the flight of stairs until they hit the highest step.

Twisting the knob and pushing, Minako threw open the door and cheered, "Here we are! The rooftop!"

Gray eyes widened at the sight as he breathed, "No way…!"

And there laid Iwatodai City in all of its glory.

But…

Red eyes stared into the distance in shock as she whispered,

"Are we…trapped?"

Moonlight glinted off of the glass-like dome that surrounded the false city.

* * *

**Next Scent**

* * *

_Wherever you are, Partner, just hang on…_

"I know where Sensei is!"

"Then what are we waiting for?!"

"I'll do anything for our Leader!"

* * *

**_A Team's Spirit_**

* * *

"Don't worry, Senpai, we'll save you!"

* * *

**Author's Note**: We're changing perspectives next scent! I guess you guys are wondering how the rest of the team is going to react... So please support us or I'm gonna... (Can't finish word).


	5. A Team's Spirit

**Author's Note: **Thank you for the lovely feedback people! A round of applause for _Gin Nanashi_! For helping me out with this chapter as well! I know what you guys are thinking... **Why a change of perspective? **As I elaborated in **Doubt and Trust**, I think a perspective change is good since Yu has done so much for the Investigation Team, it's only natural for his friends to worry for him. There is just one more chapter before we go back to Yu. I promise to elaborate on the timeline later **but not now**. Enjoy!

* * *

**Wednesday, May 09, 2012**

* * *

"Everyday's great at your Junes~!"

The jingle that every child in Inaba memorized by heart played cheerfully in the background but was barely heard over the hustle and bustle of customers.

"Welcome to Junes! Today's your lucky day," Yosuke Hanamura greeted from his position in the electronics department, "We're currently having a sale, today only, so you can save up to 20% on your favorite brand names. Come check it out!"

His attention was called away by an old man and he immediately pasted on a smile, "Hello, sir! Are you interested in this flatscreen? I have to admit, it's quite popular and it's been selling out pretty fast everywhere."

"Really?" the elder peered a bit closer, "Well, can it show my favorite TV shows?"

"So long as you have the right cable provider, I'm sure you can!" Yosuke replied immediately; it wasn't the first time he'd been asked that.

"Hm… Does this TV come in gray?" came his second question, "It's my favorite color after all."

Just before he could answer, Yosuke caught a glimpse of the wall clock and brightened up.

It was 4:30 PM.

"Well, I would _love_ to help you out further, sir, but I'm on break right now so direct your questions to any of the other available employees," he was already pulling off his apron, "Now, if you'll excuse me, have a nice day!"

And then, like the Flash, Yosuke disappeared in, well, a flash.

Sort of.

The point is that he hightailed it out of there as quickly as he could.

And he would've left the department entirely had he not passed by a familiar screen.

Out of sheer habit, and after making sure that no one was looking, Yosuke couldn't help but tap the black screen.

As expected, ripples wavered in blue concentric circles.

Ever since last year's case, this particular flatscreen was their gateway in and out of the TV World.

Pulling back, Yosuke frowned as he was suddenly reminded of the unsettling conversation he'd had this morning.

_"Hello, uh, ma'am," he greeted unsurely when he heard an unfamiliar woman's voice, "This is Yosuke Hanamura. I was wondering if I could speak to Yu Narukami...? Please?"_

_"I'm sorry, Yosuke-kun," she responded with a hint of stress in her voice, "But I haven't seen my son since yesterday–"_

_His heart near stopped._

_"–and, well, he usually comes home after school," she trailed off and there was a muffled sniffle, "W-When my husband and I returned home, he wasn't anywhere in the apartment and– I-I d-don't understand but Yu would usually tell me if he went out…"_

_Yu…disappeared…?_

_Yosuke couldn't wrap his mind around that but forced himself to clear his throat and speak, albeit with a stutter, "U-Uh, did he ever go to school?"_

_"Yes," Mrs. Narukami answered immediately, "But no one's seen him since class ended…"_

_She trailed off before seeming to realize something, "Oh! But you shouldn't worry too much. We've already informed the police and they're on the case…"_

_A pause before she spoke softly, "If, by chance, he ended up returning to Inaba, can you please inform us, Yosuke-kun? He seems to really enjoy being there…"_

_"H-Huh?" Snapping out of his daze, Yosuke nodded despite knowing that she wouldn't be able to see him, "Yeah, sure, Mrs. Narukami. I can definitely do that. And, uh, don't worry too much. Yu's real good at taking care of himself!"_

_"…Yes, you're right," she sounded a bit more cheerful, "Thank you very much, Yosuke-kun, and I hope to speak with you again."_

Although he'd said that, Yosuke was already worried sick about his missing friend.

He'd originally called earlier in order to inform Yu of the three days and two nights that the entire Investigation Team had reserved just so they could visit him in Tokyo over the summer.

It was supposed to be a lighthearted conversation filled with hopeful expectations of seeing the girls in bikinis but...

Yu was _missing._

_Wherever you are, Partner, just hang on…_

His hands clenched into fists.

_We'll find you._

_For sure._

* * *

**_A Team's Spirit_**

* * *

Sitting at the table where the Investigation Team had dubbed as their special headquarters, Yosuke tapped his fingers irritably against the wood.

_Man, where _is_ that–_

"Yosuke~!"

The brunet jerked a bit and quickly stood up as the familiar sound of squeaky footsteps reached his ears.

"And where the heck were you?!" Yosuke snapped, bopping the other on the head, "Geez, we're in a mess right now and you were off gallivanting to who-knows-where!"

"I was most certainly not!" Teddie argued, waving his stubby arms at the taller male, "I was being a good bear, a _beastly_ bear, a _bear-rific_ bear, a–"

"Okay, okay! I get it," he sighed exaggeratedly and flopped back down, "But couldn't you have done it on your actual break? This is the fifth time this week I'd had to cover for you!"

_And restocking all of those shelves ain't good for my back…_

"But, Yosuke," Teddie was anxious, "I know where Sensei is now!"

"WHAT?!" The force of his scream nearly blew the Kuma away, "Well?! Tell me! Where is he?!"

"Why, in the TV world, of course!" Teddie puffed out his chest proudly, "I thought I caught a whiff of him earlier so I popped in there for a while to check it out and, lo and bear-hold, I was right!"

"The…TV World?"

That _had_ been one of his guesses but…

"Why's he in there?" Yosuke exclaimed with furrowed brows, "And _how_ did he get in there? I thought only Inaba TVs were connected to the other side!"

"Uh, well, I'm not entirely sure," the bear admitted, "But Sensei said that he got thrown in."

An alarmed look appeared on Yosuke's face and the mascot was quick to add, "Oh, but he's okay! And there's this _beary_ pretty girl there too! As expected of Sensei~!"

"Pretty girl…?" he echoed before quickly shaking his head, "Wait–no–that's not important right now! Who the hell threw him in?! And why hasn't he come out yet?!"

"Ah, that's the problem," the Kuma said a bit somberly, "Sensei _can't_ get out. I tried with our usual exit but it just doesn't work…"

To say that Yosuke was worried was an understatement.

"Oh, but Sensei _did_ say to get everyone together," Teddie cheered, "You know, like treating this as a case!"

"Right… All right," Yosuke slapped his cheek once to get into the groove, "I'll get a hold of Kanji, Rise and Naoto. You call Chie and Yukiko, okay?" he glanced up at the darkening sky, "It's too late to get together right now…but I'm sure Yu's fine. He knows how to take care of himself," his fists tightened briefly, "Anyway, we're all meeting here tomorrow after school. And we'll explain everything then. Got it?"

"Aye-aye, Yosuke!"

* * *

**Thursday, May 10, 2012**

* * *

"Alright, Senpai," Kanji Tatsumi said as he sat down heavily, "What's up with the get-together?"

He received several looks and stuttered, "N-Not that I mind, of course! It's just that you seemed pretty uptight when you called."

"Kanji-kun's right," Naoto Shirogane spoke up, not noticing the way the tallest male blushed, "Is something the matter, Senpai?"

"You look a little pale now that I think about it," Rise Kujikawa added in as she leaned a bit closer to him with a critical eye, "Did you get in any sleep?"

Foregoing his usual enthusiastic introduction, Yosuke stood up and shook his head with a frown, "Not really but that's not important... Remember how I said I was gonna call Yu about our summer plans?"

"Oh yeah! That!" Chie Satonaka bopped a fist against her palm before looking confused, "Is the date no good then?"

"I think I might be able to arrange for another," Yukiko Amagi spoke up, "My mother's been quite lenient since we hired more helpers."

Yosuke shook his head and his grim look put everyone on edge.

"When I called him yesterday, his mom picked up," he took a deep breath, "Guys, Yu's stuck in the TV World."

There was a beat of stunned silence before–

"Then what are we waiting for?!"

–Kanji slammed his fist against the table,

"Let's go in and get him out then!"

Upon seeing the brunet grimace, Naoto spoke up, "It's not that easy, is it, Senpai? There's some mysterious circumstances perhaps?"

"W-What do you mean by that?" Chie asked as Yukiko uttered, "I hope it's nothing like last year's case…"

"Is Yu-senpai hurt?" Rise asked, clasping her hands together.

"Not to worry, Rise-chan," Teddie piped up, "I popped in for a bit yesterday and he's a-okay!"

That calmed them down a bit and Yosuke took that time to fill them in on how Yu was supposedly thrown into the TV World from outside of Inaba.

"That is unusual," Yukiko murmured as Chie wondered aloud, "But I thought that only the TVs in Inaba connected to the TV World?"

"Maybe, but Yu-senpai's power exceeds ours, doesn't it?" Rise pointed out.

"Yeah," Kanji agreed, "I mean, couldn't he just break the rule and enter through any TV?"

"I don't think so," Teddie piped up, "Sensei hasn't done it before so why would he do it now?"

"As it stands, Senpai would have no reason to," Naoto added, "We'd always gone in as a team and to go in alone would be a foolish endeavor, given the nature of the TV World. Ambushes aren't a rarity after all."

They all nodded in agreement before the detective spoke again, "I'm more concerned with how similar this appears to the Golden Week incident."

Eyes widened as they recalled the reappearance of the Midnight Channel along with the bizarre fighting tournament, Labrys, the Shadow Operatives and…

"You think whoever they were threw Yu in?" Yosuke asked with a hint of steel in his voice.

…a malevolent entity and his human conspirator.

"So they went after Yu-kun this time?" Yukiko narrowed her eyes as they glinted icily.

"We cannot rule out that possibility," Naoto stated before turning to Teddie, "I believe that you've already tried our usual exit?"

"I did," the Kuma nodded as his ears drooped a bit, "But it doesn't work for some reason. I think it's because Sensei went in from outside of here."

"Then I guess his only way out is his original way in, huh," Chie mused.

Silence descended upon them as everyone stared at her for a moment before–

"Chie, you're a genius!"

–Yosuke cheered and glomped the brunette, to which she kicked him away with a yelp.

"Stay out of my personal bubble, buddy!" she snapped with an embarrassed blush on her cheeks, "You can't just hug girls whenever they have a good idea!"

A groan left his lips as Yosuke curled up on the floor in exaggerated pain and the rest of group couldn't help but laugh and relax a bit.

"Oh! I beary nearly forgot," Teddie suddenly exclaimed as he rummaged through his pocket, "TADA!"

He held out a neatly folded-up note.

"Sensei wrote this when I visited him," the bear chirped, "I might've missed a few details so let me check…"

A vein throbbed on Yosuke's temple before he bopped the Kuma on the head, yelling, "Why'd you keep that hidden from me all this time?!"

"It's not my fault I just remembered," Teddie yelped, dodging behind the girls, "A-And, anyway, here! Take a look!"

Naoto took the note and smoothed it out of the table for everyone to see.

It read:

_Hey, everyone, I'm sorry if I worried any of you but I got myself into quite a situation (albeit involuntarily)._

_After brainstorming a bit, I think it's safe to say that the way out is to find wherever I came in from. Unfortunately, like in Inaba, there isn't an obvious exit and Teddie's exit TVs are a no go._

_That aside, I'm not alone. Someone else, a girl named Minako Arisato, has also been thrown in here. Or, at least, that's what I'm assuming since she doesn't recall the events leading up to it. In any case, she can also use Personas so I've got someone watching my back._

_We're as safe as we can be but we're stuck so I'll be counting on all of your help._

_–Yu Narukami_

_P.S. I left Teddie with my house key and below this message is my address. I think you'll need to go to my place and find some more clues. Either way, I'm sure you'll figure it out._

"So… We're going to Tokyo?" Teddie asked as he patted himself down before pulling out a small key with a triumphant (and relieved) cry.

Naoto decided to hold onto it–just in case.

"Alright then," Kanji stood up and smack his fists together, "I'm ready to roll!"

"Me too," Rise exclaimed as she jumped to her feet, "I'll do anything for our Leader!"

"But it won't be that easy," Yukiko pointed out with a small frown, "I doubt our families will just let us up and leave when there's still school. Even if it's for Yu-kun's sake. At most, they'd only allow us this Sunday."

"Yeah, but, Senpai's more important than school," Rise protested.

"Not saying that he's not but," Chie rubbed her forehead, "I think my mum would freak if I just sneak out and go."

"Uh… Good point," Kanji grimaced at the thought of his mother collapsing from worry, "So what do we do now?"

A moment of uneasiness descended over them as they wracked their brains for a foolproof answer.

"…Lying and making excuses will only cause more problems in the long-run, I think," Naoto spoke up with a frown, "However, informing them of our intentions outright will almost guarantee a ban from going during the weekdays."

"So that leaves us with what?" Yosuke asked, feeling irritation bubble up within him.

Her eyes closed in thought before Naoto spoke slowly, "I…believe I can pull some strings."

Noticing their looks, she blushed and coughed, "Nothing illegal, of course. I mean that I can use my…influence…to convince the school that your participation is necessary in a private investigation of mine."

"And you technically wouldn't be lying now, would you?" Rise smiled slyly as she nudged her, "As expected of the Detective Prince!"

"Yes, well, it'll still take some time to sort out," Naoto admitted, "And I also wish to look up this…Minako Arisato. It may prove to be useful later on."

"Alright then, it's settled!" Yosuke clapped his hands to garner everyone's attention, "At the latest, we'll all leave Saturday night?"

Naoto nodded in affirmation and he continued, "So just mention it in passing or something. We'll definitely come back anyway. Agreed?"

"Yes sir!" Came the chorus.

"And the Investigation Team is a go!" Rise exclaimed, "Don't worry, Senpai, we'll save you!"

* * *

**Next Scent**

* * *

"Welcome to Tokyo, everyone. It is nice to see you all again."

"How's Master doing?"

"It's like finding a needle in a haystack!"

"There was indeed a struggle here."

* * *

**_Otherworld_**

* * *

"NO!"


	6. Otherworld

**Saturday, May 12, 2012**

* * *

"Where the heck are they?!"

Muttering to himself, Yosuke paced back and forth as Teddie looked between him and the darkened staircase with anxiety evident in his currently human form.

It took a while to get everything sorted out but the Investigation Team had managed to wrestle at least a week off of school and they'd planned on boarding the train right after school but…

Blue eyes stared at the nearby analog clock before Teddie tugged on the taller male's sleeve, asking, "Hey, Yosuke? What time is it?"

He stopped pacing to give the blond a baffled look, "You can't read it? It says 5:40 PM, dummy."

"I-I'm not a dummy! And it's not my fault that there aren't any numbers!" Teddie defended himself while waving his arms childishly, "Besides–! Those kinds of clocks are so obsolete now so how was I supposed to read 'em?!"

_Says the guy who uses vintage TVs as an exit,_ Yosuke thought with a deadpanned expression, _Seriously…_

"And we're in the Age of Technology! It's digital all the way, baby~!" the bear was still going on, "Besides, Junes doesn't sell such old-fashioned clocks!"

"Uh, yes, we do," the brunet interrupted with a look.

"H-Huh? We do?!" the Kuma looked comically startled.

This earned him _the look_ as Yosuke glowered at him, "You'd know if you laid off of the snack section, Teddie."

The blond made a strange cough-gulp mix of a sound before turning away and whistling as if he were innocent.

Yosuke rolled his eyes at him before sighing and plopping down onto the bench.

"Man, I can get why the girls might be late," he grumbled, "They're _girls_ after all. They take forever to get ready but," his face soured, "Why the hell's _Kanji_ so late?!"

"Oooh, you just said a _beary_ bad word," Teddie clicked his tongue and wagged a finger at his companion, "Shame on you, Yosuke! To compensate for soiling my pure ears, you should buy me a popsicle!"

Brown eyes lowered in an unamused look before the mahogany-haired teen kicked the blond off of his seat.

"Oh nooooooooo~!"

Teddie squealed as he rolled surprisingly smoothly across the platform despite being a not-bear before–

"Oof!"

–crashing into the base of the staircase in a strange position.

"Teddie?!"

Dazed blue eyes blinked several times before lighting up.

"Chie-chan! Yuki-chan!" the Kuma greeted happily as he pushed himself up, "I'm so glad you're here! Yosuke was abusing me! He kicked me off of my seat and sent me rolling!"

"E-Eh? Are you hurt, Teddie?" Yukiko asked as she crouched down to look him over (while ignoring his request for a hug).

Chie, on the other hand, cracked her knuckles in a threatening manner and growled,

"Yo-su-ke…!"

Said male yelped when she lunged at him and scrambled to hide behind the bench, shouting, "He's exaggerating! I'm (mostly) innocent!"

"You just mumbled something before 'innocent', didn't you?!" the martial artist snapped back as she chased after him, "Stop running and take your punishment like a man!"

"I want to _stay_ a man!" Yosuke retorted before letting out a rather girly scream when her foot came a little _too_ close to his private area, "Holy– You're seriously trying to emulate me, aren't you?!"

Dark eyes blinked.

"Emulate…? Emulate?" Yukiko whispered before snorting and covering her lips, "Y-Yosuke-kun, I-I think y-you meant e-_emasculate_– N-Not _emulate_– Hahaha~!"

"Now's not the best time to crack jokes!" the fearful male shouted as he jumped over his travel bag, nearly tripping over it, "My _manhood_'s at risk, damn it!"

But Yukiko was already too far gone in her laughing fit.

Meanwhile, Teddie was holding his cheeks with a sparkling smile, cooing, "It's springtime for Yosuke~!"

A vein throbbed on his temple as Yosuke roared, "TEDDIE, YOU–!"

"Are we interrupting something?"

The running duo froze in place and turned stiffly just in time to see Naoto and Kanji stepping off of the staircase and looking curiously at them.

"You're both finally here!" Teddie cheered as he bounced up to them, "What took you two so long?"

"Yes, my apologies," Naoto bowed her head a bit, "I was doing some last-minute research when Kanji-kun called me out."

"H-He did?" Yukiko asked as she finally calmed down and wiped away her tears of laughter, "That was awfully nice of you, Kanji-kun."

"Yeah, Kanji-_kun_," Yosuke teased as he suddenly appeared beside the tallest male and elbowed him meaningfully, "How _nice_ of you."

"Th-That's not– I was– S-Senpai–!" Kanji sputtered and tried to glare him down but the blush on his cheeks detracted from his usually intimidating expression.

Teddie gasped with exaggeration, "No, it can't be…! Did you–?!"

"NO!" came Kanji's immediate denial.

"No, what?"

Everyone turned to see Rise skipping down the stairs, wearing a stylish hat and dark sunglasses.

"Going incognito, I see," Naoto spoke with a hint of amusement, "Although I do not think it will work very well."

"You'd be surprised," the idol winked with a teasing smile, "Most of the time I'd just get passed off as a dedicated fan."

"Hiding in plain sight, then," the detective chuckled, "It's a good tactic."

"Yup," Rise chirped proudly before turning to the boys with her hands on her hips, "So are we going or are you three still horsing around?"

_But you were the last one to get here!_

They were smart enough to keep quiet.

"Oh, I think the train's here!" Chie piped up as she spotted a light growing brighter by the second before a male voice sounded overhead, confirming the destination.

"Alright then!" Yosuke shouted as he swung his bag over his shoulder, "Let's get going, guys! ...And girls, of course!"

The glares left his tense form and he sagged a bit in relief.

_Being leader's no joke, _the brunet thought, already exhausted, _Geez… How'd Yu ever manage in the first place…?_

With that question in mind, Yosuke and the others finally made their way to Tokyo…

.

.

.

After riding for a time before transferring to another train and riding some more, the Investigation Team finally arrived at the station in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo at 6:00 AM the following morning.

Groggily, they made their way outside before Yukiko suddenly stopped with a surprised look on her face.

"Isn't that…?"

Confused, the others followed her gaze before their eyes widened at the sight.

"Welcome to Tokyo, everyone. It is nice to see you all again."

* * *

**_Otherworld_**

* * *

"Ai-chan!"

Teddie immediately greeted the mechanical maiden with a bright smile.

"I missed you~!" he squealed as he barreled towards her with open arms but–

"Whoa!"

–the robot in question simply stepped side, causing the bear to stumble and fall face first with a thump.

"Aigis-san?" Chie wondered as she stepped forward and took in the blonde's professional suit, "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working?"

"Hey, that's right," Yosuke piped up as he looked curiously at her, "Aren't you and Labrys still on that mission? You know, from that time in Inaba?"

Said maiden smiled at them and nodded, "That is correct. My sister and I are working to resolve that issue."

"In that case," Kanji scratched his head and asked, "Why you are here in Tokyo then? Shouldn't you be sneaking into secret bases or something?"

"The real world doesn't quite work that way, Kanji-kun," Naoto sighed and shook her head before ignoring the now-flustered teen and turning to the Shadow Operative, "I assume that this is no coincidence?"

"Once more, that is correct," Aigis replied in a sobering tone, "We have recently learned of Narukami-san's disappearance and I wish to lend you my assistance."

"Awesome!" Rise chirped as she skipped up to the blonde and shook her hands happily, "We'll be counting on you then, Aigis-san!"

"I will do my best," she answered with another smile.

"Yeah, that's great and all, but," Yosuke looked a bit confused, "How'd you even know Yu's gone missing?"

Her eyes shifted to the mahogany-haired boy before Aigis answered, "It was through the Missing Persons database."

Seeing their intrigued expressions, she explained further, "You may be unaware of it but, about three years ago, many of these disappearances were the result of Shadows," she paused before adding, "Of course, since then, such incidents were far and few in between, such as what happened during Golden Week."

"...Those disappearances," Naoto spoke up, "If I recall correctly, they occurred during the significant increases in victims of Apathy Syndrome, yes?"

A sad look flickered in her blue eyes and Aigis nodded in confirmation, "Yes, that is correct."

"Then, if you don't mind me asking," she continued in detective-mode, "How exactly did that case end?"

Seeing the maiden's surprised look, Naoto clarified, "In 2010, Apathy Syndrome was suddenly cured after years of no known causes. Back then, I could not figure out what had happened. Now, though, I can only theorize that it had something to do with Shadows."

Aigis was silent as a pained and reluctant expression became evident on her face.

"I…" her voice faltered and she looked away, "I-I apologize, Shirogane-san, but I am not comfortable discussing it at this time. Perhaps later…"

The Detective Prince pursed her lips, unsatisfied at being deflected, and a heavy silence fell over them.

The others looked between the two in worry.

Finally, Naoto sighed and nodded, "Very well then, Aigis-san. I apologize for being pushy."

The blonde simply shook her head, "No, I understand. It is in human nature to want to understand everything. Even I…" her voice trailed off before she shook her head and smiled, "Mysteries are quite alluring after all."

"That aside," Yosuke quickly stepped in before Naoto could ask anything else, "We should get going. I want to find Yu as quickly as possible."

"Right!" Chie backed him up before asking sheepishly, "So, uh, where do we go?"

"Tada~!" Teddie pulled out the note from before, "I have the address right here!"

"Good job, Teddie!" Yukiko praised the not-bear and took the note, "Now let's see…"

A stumped look appeared on her face and Rise giggled a bit before taking the note and stating, "Here. I'll help lead the way since I've been around these parts before."

"Good idea," Kanji nodded and crossed his arms, "It'd be pretty bad if we ended up lost."

A vein throbbed on Yukiko's temple before she turned away with a sniff and walked off, brushing past the tallest one.

Kanji looked baffled at her cold attitude and turned to the others, "What'd I say?"

Chie gave him an exasperated look before quickly following her best friend.

Rise simply giggled and skipped on ahead before they got too far away and Naoto soon followed with a shake of her head and an indulgent smile.

Yosuke, on the other hand, was trying to cover up his snickers as he smacked Kanji on the back in mock sympathy.

"What?!" the second-year scowled with increasing distress, "Tell me, Senpai!"

"Poor, poor, Kanji," Teddie clicked his tongue and sighed mournfully, "The wonders of a girl's heart are still beyond you."

"The hell does that mean?!" came his increasingly irritated voice, "Just what did I do?!"

A firm hand patted him on the shoulder as Aigis gave him an amazingly compassionate look.

"It's okay, Tatsumi-san," she nodded almost sagely, "You'll learn one day."

That was the last straw and Yosuke began rolling on the floor, cackling like a mad man, before he was joined by Teddie.

A vein irked on Kanji's temple before–

"WHAT THE HELL, MAN?!"

–he finally exploded on them.

The rest will be left up to your imagination…

.

.

.

"By the way, Aigis-san," Chie piped up as she looked over at said blonde, "I've been meaning to ask– How's Master doing?"

Master, or Akihiko Sanada, was a Shadow Operative that Chie had met in the TV World during the Golden Week debacle.

She'd grown quite fond of him due to their common interests over their short duration fighting together.

"He is doing quite well," Aigis answered with a smile, "But he will be leaving Japan soon for another…training excursion. Who knows how far that will take him this time?"

"Like a journey?" Chie asked with starry eyes, "That is so cool!"

As the brunette slipped off into a daydream, Naoto asked, "And what is the current situation with Kirijo-san? Is she well?"

"She is," the mechanical maiden answered with a nod, "Although she is quite wrapped up in current affairs, Mitsuru-san is doing what she can to assist you from afar."

"Ah, Mitsu-chan~!" Teddie swooned in remembrance, "Although you're colder than ice, your kind strength knows no bound~!"

Ignoring the hearts that seemed to dance around the not-bear, Yukiko wondered aloud, "How's Labrys then? Is she adapting to everything well?"

Aigis visibly perked up at the mention of her sister and nodded happily, "Yes! She is doing very well. We've talked about many things and still have yet to run out of interesting topics," her smile was full of excitement, "We have even thrown a party for her upon arriving at headquarters," she paused before giving off a hint of shyness, "She has decided on her birthday being the day she met with all of you."

Their eyes widened at the unexpected tidbit before each looked away with a blush and their own version of a silly grin.

"Hehe~ I'm glad that she's doing so _fine_!" Teddie cheered and bounced a bit closer to Aigis, "Say, Ai-chan, the next time that you see her, do tell Labby-chan that her knight in shining armor awaits!"

"Of course," she responded and paused before stating, "Although you wear no armor."

Teddie tripped at that.

"Anyway," Yosuke cut in as the not-bear cried dramatically in the background, "Where exactly are we now? We've been walking for forever!"

Rise rolled her eyes and huffed, "Don't exaggerate, Yosuke-senpai. We've barely walked for twenty minutes!"

"Still~!" he whined as he dragged his feet, "Just how far away _is_ Yu's apartment?"

A pause before Yosuke eyed the idol, asking suspiciously, "Are you _sure_ you know the way?"

Her cheeks colored before Chie defended her, "I'm sure we're almost there, so man up already, Yosuke!"

He sputtered for a moment before snapping back and the two began descended into a squabble as everyone else sighed in stereo…

.

.

.

"ARGH!"

Yosuke was, predictably, the first to crack.

"It's like finding a needle in a haystack!" he complained while ruffling his hair in frustration, "And it's been _an hour_ now! Let's just ask someone for directions!"

"B-But–!" Rise stuttered with teary eyes, "I was so _sure_ that it was this way…"

Who'd have thought that a _guy_ would want to ask for directions while a _girl_ fumbled pridefully with the map?

Oh, the irony…

"Perhaps I may be of assistance?" Aigis finally spoke up from her slow pace behind the Investigation Team, "My memory bank contains a worldwide map as well as a GPS connection so I could find his apartment with ease."

"Then why didn't you tell us earlier?!" Yosuke snapped with clear exasperation.

She tilted her head a bit and replied simply, "You never asked."

He face-faulted as the others sweated and, ten minutes later, the group found themselves in front of a large, modern apartment complex.

"Now let's see here," Kanji looked over the note from behind Naoto, "It looks like Senpai's apartment's on the 10th floor."

A groan left Yosuke's lips and he whimpered pitifully, "Please tell me there's a usable elevator…?"

Chie kicked the back of his knee, making him yelp and buckle, "Geez! Are you a man or a wimp, Yosuke? Climbing up ten floors isn't so bad. Right, guys?"

She turned to smile brightly at everyone but they simply turned away and either whistled or fiddled with something.

"You were saying?" Yosuke drawled with a teasing smirk.

Her cheeks flushed red before he yelped when she kicked him in the back.

"Shut it, bub!"

A ding signaled the arrival of the elevator and they quickly made their way up to their destination where Naoto took out the key that she held onto for Teddie and unlocked the correct door.

"Yay!" Rise cheered as she bounced on the balls of her feet, "I finally get to see the inside of Senpai's apartment! I wonder if he was thinking of me~!"

The others simply rolled their eyes in good humor before tensing when they saw the scene of the crime.

Inside, the apartment was more roughed up than Yosuke (and, consequently, the entire team) had been led to believe.

[On a plus side, at least Yu's parents were away at this time.]

"...Perhaps it's time for my specialty," Naoto spoke as she casted a critical eye around the area and pulled out some gloves, "Here. It'd be best to not touch anything with your bare hands."

"Hey, that was a beary good pun, Nao-chan!" Teddie chirped, "Get it? Bare hands? _Bear_ hands? Rawr~ Haha!"

Everyone casted him an exasperated but fond look and the tension noticeably lowered as they took a look around.

Rise couldn't help but squeal in delight when she saw a framed picture of everyone from last year's Culture Festival along with several others, especially of Nanako and Ryotaro Dojima.

More importantly, though, Naoto could practically see the scene play out in her mind's eye as she took in the ruffed rug and the slightly skewed coffee table, around which were a knocked over tissue box and cup, before noticing the near-invisible spidery crack in the screen of the TV.

"There was indeed a struggle here," her voice commanded everyone's attention and they quickly gathered around her, "Look," she gesture to the broken surface, "To the police, it would just look like someone cracked it but we know that Yu-senpai was forced into the TV," her eyes narrowed, "And I do mean _forced_."

"...In that case," Yukiko spoke slowly, "We shouldn't be able to get into the TV World from here."

"I guess that makes sense," Chie frowned and crossed her arms in thought, "None of the TVs back in Inaba ended up like this, right?"

"Right," Kanji rubbed his head in thought, "I mean, I even slammed into mine and it still looks practically new!"

"Then it really is the work of whoever kidnapped Teddie and me?" Rise asked warily, "That thing _was_ able to control Labrys after all…"

Yosuke was quiet as they deliberated before he stepped forward and crouched down in front of the TV.

He squinted a bit, as if trying to peer through it and into the TV World for a glimpse of his gray-haired friend, before he placed a hand onto the screen.

Nothing happened.

No ripples.

No concentric circles.

No hum of power.

Frustrated, he pushed a little harder before jumping when the cracks spread.

"Yosuke!" Chie scolded and whacked him upside the head, "Don't break it even more!"

"Sorry, _sorry_!" the mahogany-haired teen threw his hands up defensively, "I was just testing it!"

Pausing, she soon deflated and sighed, "Yeah. I get it. I was gonna do the same. Just to make sure, y'know?"

Yosuke nodded rapidly in agreement before leaning against the screen in relief when–

"What the–?!"

–his head slammed against the top of the TV, causing his vision to spin, before he yelped when _something_ began pulling him in.

"NO!"

Everyone grabbed onto him in a panic and pulled to keep him from slipping through.

"Oh no you don't!" Chie snapped as she braced her strong legs against the TV table and pulled, "Let. Him. _Go_!"

"We're _bear_ly budging!" Teddie exclaimed as his legs trembled, "In fact, I think _we're _getting pulled in too!"

"Don't give up!" Yukiko encouraged as she pulled with all of her might, "We can't give up…!"

"That's right so hold on!" Aigis shouted as she used her inhuman strength to pull Yosuke away from the screen just enough to catch a glimpse of a hand and the end of a black sleeve before they were all jerked closer towards the screen.

"Damn it!" Kanji growled as his muscles actually strained under pressure, "It's like a monster or something!"

"A monster sounds plausible enough," Naoto grunted through gritted teeth, "If only we knew what it really–"

They were tugged even closer now.

"Less talking, more pulling!" Rise shouted with a hint of hysteria as her limbs threatened to collapse, "We can't let it take Yosuke-senpai too!"

But the grip was too strong and–

"Whoa…!"

–they were all pulled in with a single, final tug.

_Bzzt._

And so silence reigned once more…

* * *

**Next Scent**

* * *

"Minako-san, this is…!"

"They…like you?"

"Don't hurt him!"

"Hee-ho!"

* * *

**_Nameless Monster_**

* * *

"They weren't just Shadows, Yu…"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Since Aigis is now part of the story... One question that I'm going to get is... _Are the rest of SEES going to appear? _**No.** One must know how many characters that one incorporate in one story. Too many characters mean that one must focus on them and that means barely any dialogue for those characters... I hope you know where I'm coming from. And happy birthday _Yuruya_! I think...

_And thank you Gin Nanashi for editing again!_ :P


	7. Nameless Monster

**Author's Note: **Happy Birthday _Yuruya_! As a special treat... I updated again! This wouldn't be possible without_ Gin Nanashi's_ help! Thank you partner! Ok we're back with Yu's perspective... It picks up where Doubt and Trust left off so don't expect the rescue team to come in for a while. The reason I went with that is that I came up with A Team's Spirit and Otherworld before Nameless Monster. Still confused?** I promise a big explanation in the end**... So for now... Enjoy! **Read the end for an update with the story's situation!**

* * *

"Seth! Agidyne!"

Wickedly attractive flames spewed forth from the black dragon's massive maw and exploded on contact.

But the glass-like barrier didn't even flicker and the moonlight glinted off of its reflective surface almost mockingly.

Minako clicked her tongue irritably and raised her Evoker to her temple when a hand stopped her.

"That's enough, Minako-san," Yu stated quite sternly, "You're just wearing yourself out like this."

Red eyes practically bore into him and he sweated a bit under her glare but didn't drop his stance.

Finally, she sighed heavily and slumped to her knees as her bright eyes dimmed sadly.

"What will you have me do then?" she whispered in painfully desolate tone, "This feeling…being trapped…being chained…restrained…suppressed…I…"

Her voice trailed off as she clutched a hand just above where her heart was.

"It's…painful…"

Yu wasn't sure what to say to that as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

But he needn't say anything because Minako suddenly shook her head vigorously and slapped her cheeks.

"Sorry… Sorry…!" she bowed her head in frustration, "You're also in the same situation and yet I'm just thinking of myself…!"

Surprised, Yu could only stare at her for a moment before he sighed and smiled faintly, crouching down to her level.

"It's fine," he murmured soothingly, "I'm actually glad that you're unburdening on me."

Her eyes widened at his words as she stuttered,

"W-Why…?"

Scratching his cheek, the male looked a bit embarrassed as he answered, "To be honest, I… Well, if I hadn't been focused on protecting you, then I'd be a mess myself so… You're helping me keep calm?"

She fell silent at his explanation before huffing, "…I'm glad my misery soothes your anxieties then, Yu-kun."

His lips quirked up when he heard her usual feistiness return to her voice and he joked, "Don't you feel honored?"

She blew a raspberry at him but grinned back nonetheless before turning to look up at the barrier with a serious expression.

"So what should we do now…?"

Sobering, Yu followed her gaze and mused, "First, we can pretty much assume that the dome is meant to keep everything and, more specifically, _us_ in since none of our attacks got through. The real question is_why_ but, unfortunately, I'm not sure…"

Minako was quiet for a moment before she glanced over at him and said, "You have an idea though, don't you?"

He paused, feeling a bit startled by her intuition, before nodding slowly, "Nothing concrete though…"

Her eyes closed briefly.

_Will she make me clarify?_ Yu thought as he watched her placid expression, _I'd rather wait until I gather more facts…_

"Okay," she finally spoke and breathed deeply before exhaling slowly, "I won't ask right now."

An unbidden sigh of relief left his lips and she laughed softly.

"I think I can trust you," she suddenly confessed, "I'd never met another Wild Card before so I was wary but…"

Her smile was bright and almost childish but also undeniably mature.

"You've got a good heart, don't you, _O~nii-chan_!"

And Yu was suddenly reminded of Nanako.

Without realizing it, he ended up ruffling her hair before freezing and jerking away with a blush.

"Sorry!" he quickly apologized, "I was just– That is, I was– Um, just now, I–!"

His Expression was completely shot.

"Pbfft–!" Minako tried to cover up the laughter that bubbled from her lips but failed as she ended up giggling at his flustered state.

"You're a really interesting guy, Yu Narukami," she chuckled with a grin, "Despite your cool facade, you're pretty reactive, aren't ya?"

He simply rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, even as his blush died down, before his mind nagged at him.

"Minako-san, you…" he paused and wondered if he should really ask.

As if reading his mind, she ventured a guess, "Are you wondering why I didn't flinch away?"

He smiled sheepishly and nodded slowly.

Red eyes sparkled as she clasped her hands behind her back and rolled on the balls of her feet, murmuring, "Maybe…it's because, somehow, I feel a bit…_nostalgic_ when I'm with you…"

He wondered if she was referring to her aforementioned lover but decided not to bring it up.

_No use reopening _that_ can of worms..._

They spent a moment in peace and quiet in order to regain their energy before Minako suddenly straightened up.

"Hm…?"

Her eyes were narrowed as they looked at something in the distance.

"What is it?" Yu questioned as he followed her gaze before he straightened up as well, "Are those…"

"Radio towers," she confirmed before standing up, "Do you know if they were there before?"

Frowning a bit, Yu thought back before shaking his head negatively.

"I'm not sure," he answered her, "But, then again, I was more focused on our immediate surroundings."

Minako was silent, deep in thought, for a moment before she whispered, "The barrier…"

Curious as to where her thoughts were going, Yu briefly nudged her elbow in silent question.

She bit her lower lip before answering, "I think I've been in this area longer than you have but I'd never noticed the barrier nor those towers before…"

"So you're thinking that they might've appeared after I came here?" his thoughts raced as he spoke, "Someone threw me in here so it's not too farfetched to think that they've got a bone to pick with me…"

_But then why are _you_ here? _He couldn't help but wonder if that was really the case.

She gave a noncommittal hum before turning about and walking back inside, "Come on, Yu-kun."

He followed her silently, feeling that she had a plan in mind, and they entered the meeting room where she pulled out a scroll from one of the shelves and spread it out on the table.

It was a map of Iwatodai and Tatsumi Port Island.

Pulling out a box of pushpins, Minako plotted down the rough coordinates of the radio towers as she'd seen them and Yu's eyes widened as he saw the result.

"Minako-san, this is…!"

She nodded solemnly as she gazed at the four pushpins that were spread out.

"You know how radio towers are used to broadcast signals, right?" Minako asked rhetorically, "Well, I'm thinking that the ones set up out there are meant to transmit something, maybe spiritual energy, in order to keep the dome in place."

"That might explain why our attacks didn't work," Yu mused aloud, "Shadows and Personas also use spiritual energy, and since each has their own immunities…"

"The barrier might be based on that and thus immune to everything," Minako sighed with a hint of annoyance before she gestured, "Since attacking the barrier's no good, I was thinking we head over to a tower and check it out."

"Sounds like a good idea," Yu smiled and relaxed a bit now that they had a workable theory, "If all goes well, then destroying the towers might bring down the barrier."

"And maybe Teddie's exit TVs will work then," Minako finished with a grin.

* * *

**_Nameless Monster_**

* * *

"True," Yu tapped his chin in thought and looked out of the window, "Looks like the dome's not that visible unless we're as high up as the rooftop."

Minako mimicked him and squinted a bit, turning her head in various degrees, but still she couldn't quite make out what had been so clear before.

"We're on the fourth floor right now," she mused, "So, from ground floor, it'd be completely invisible to us."

"Which means that it may have been there since the beginning," Yu smiled wryly.

"Hm… Anything can come in," Minako frowned thoughtfully, "And we can't leave… But Teddie was able to… Why?"

And wasn't that the billion-dollar question?

"The only thing that connects us," she continued to whisper, "Is the fact that we're Wild Cards so is that the reason…?"

Neither was sure.

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Minako looked over at Yu and asked, "Do you think your friends are already here?"

He pursed his lips before shaking his head and answering, "I don't know but, if they're coming in through the TV in my apartment…"

Trailing off, the male suddenly froze as a thought occurred to him.

_What if they get ambushed and thrown in too?_

Unbidden, his imagination brought up images of his friends, battered and bleeding and surrounded by Shadows.

…_damn it…_

With a pale face, the gray-haired male clenched his fists as he mentally scolded himself.

_I should've taken that into account...!_

"…Yu-kun?"

Said male couldn't hide his flinch upon hearing her force before straining a smile in her direction.

"Sorry," he apologized softly, "I was just thinking…"

Minako watched as frustration seeped into his usually collected demeanor before she understood and stood on her tiptoes to pat his head soothingly.

"Don't worry," she smiled encouragingly at him, "Although I've only officially met Teddie, I have a feeling that they're all real tough."

_…Minako-san…_

His lips twitched into a small grin.

"Yeah," he agreed easily, "They won't go down easily."

"And there's strength in numbers," Minako chirped before stretching, "They'll definitely be okay and then they'll find us. Teddie's got his nose so we'll all meet up sooner or later, right?"

"Right," Yu nodded as he looked over the map again, "We'll check out the closest tower, which is…here."

To say that it was close was a complete understatement considering that it was in the middle of the water, near the Moonlight Bridge.

"…How did we miss that?" Minako questioned as she deadpanned at the pushpin, "We were practically right next to it!"

_Good point._

Yu hummed in thought before slowly recapping, "We couldn't see the barrier until we were close enough and we never noticed the towers until we were far enough…"

"…You think it's done on purpose?" the brunette pieced the few facts together, "Like a defense mechanism?"

"It's likely," he nodded, "After all, someone seems to _want_ us here."

She clicked her tongue before grinning impishly up at the male, "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's blow this joint!"

He smirked back,

"Agreed."

Several moments later, they sailed–that is–_strutted_ down the road with all the confidence that befitted a pair of awesome badasses like them.

But, about halfway through, Yu felt the hair on the back of his neck prick up as his senses picked up an abnormality.

_We're being followed._

A movement from the corner of his eyes made him turn in that direction before his eyes widened.

Three Cowardly Mayas were crawling swiftly towards the cheerfully skipping brunette.

Yu made a grab for his sword before remembering that he didn't have it and automatically called forth his Persona card, crushing it.

"Pyro Jack!"

Minako snapped towards him in surprise as the lantern-wielding pumpkin appeared in a swirl of blue light and shattered glass before her eyes caught sight of the three Shadows and widened in horror.

"Wait!" she shouted and threw herself in-between them, "Don't!"

"M-Minako-san?!" Yu stuttered, caught off guard by her unforeseen action, "What are you doing? Move!"

But she shook her head stubbornly as the Mayas continued approaching her and Yu was torn about what to do as Pyro Jack floated back and forth, mirroring the gray-haired male's agitation, before–

"Watch out!"

–his eyes widened in horror when they wrapped themselves around her legs and crawled up when–

"Hey! That tickles!"

–Minako started giggling?

He blinked, feeling out of the loop, and Pyro Jack settled down just before him.

The brunette grinned down at the three chattering Shadows and closed her eyes in contentment when they nuzzled against her face affectionately.

_Well… Damn._

To say that Yu was stumped didn't do his feelings any justice.

It was more accurate to say that he was completely and utterly floored and was currently screaming his head off while running around in circles like a headless chicken…

In his mind, of course.

His coolness simply wouldn't allow him make a genuine fool out of himself.

Taking a moment to swallow back his bewilderment, Yu warily approached them, speaking slowly, "They…like you?"

_Were they Charmed or something?_

"They're not Charmed, if that's what you're thinking," Minako spoke up with an amused smirk, "We're just friends."

Yu deadpanned.

Epically.

Still, he tried to make sense of the situation.

_Do they have Egos like Teddie?_

But then the Mayas suddenly whirled on him and seemed to puff themselves up as they slid off of Minako and approached Yu predatorily.

"Wait!" Minako quickly scrambled to her feet, "Don't hurt him!"

Tensing, Yu briefly wondered why they'd suddenly changed moods when he remembered that Pyro Jack was still out and about, ready but on standby for battle.

_Shoot! They must think I'm a danger to them!_

They rushed towards him.

But Minako was having none of that and quickly pulled out her evoker.

"Jack Frost!"

The cap-wearing snowman appeared in a swirl of blue light and shattered glass with his usual jolly grin, greeting happily,

"Hee-ho!"

"Minako-san?" Yu tensed, unsure of what she was planning.

_Is she with them? Or with me?_

But she smiled at him and he found himself relaxing a bit despite the situation.

"Don't worry!" Minako chirped as she waved to the two Personas, "Just go along with it!"

Turning to look, he saw that Jack Frost had cheerfully skipped over to Pyro Jack with recognition oddly evident on his face before the two twirled around in unison.

Suddenly, a microphone appeared from out of nowhere in a poof of smoke where both Personas took center stage.

"Are they…doing a comedy routine?" Yu wondered as he stared at the two, feeling a bit mind-blown.

The sound of party poppers exploded from somewhere or another before variously colored confetti rained down around the two Personas as they laughed in joy.

Stopping in their initial route to jump Yu, the Cowardly Mayas turned to the comedic duo and seemed to screech in joy.

Still disoriented, the gray-haired male could only deadpan at the sight before palming his forehead and shaking his head.

_I don't even..._

Minako was totally laughing at him.

Finally, in a soft glow of blue light, the two personas disappeared and the trio of Shadows finally quelled their initial anger towards Yu.

"The Jack Brothers' comedy routine," Minako giggled as she grinned up at her companion, "Don't you just love it?"

Yu could only sigh before tensing inconspicuously when the Mayas approached Minako again and gurgled for her attention.

She knelt down and appeared to be conversing with them though he didn't know how she could understand them.

"Yu, these guys want to help us," the brunet suddenly chirped with an excited look on her face, "They know how we can reach the radio tower out in the sea!"

Although still apprehensive about the Shadows, Yu went along with her, "We _could_ use all of the help we need…"

And so, the two teens and three Shadows made their way towards the coast of Iwatodai.

It wasn't a particularly difficult trek but it felt rather long…

Long enough for Yu to interrogate his mysterious companion in fact.

"So," he started as he glanced over at her, "How did you come to befriend them, Minako-san?"

Red eyes looked up at him before gazing fondly at the three Shadows crawling in front of her.

"They were the ones who found me," she answered with a small smile, "Although I don't know _how_ I got here, I remember the time when I first awoke," one of them looked up and gurgled at her to which she patted its head, "These three were closest to me," she looked a bit sheepish, "To be honest, I was like you and I wanted to attack them at first but," thoughtfulness was evident in her eyes, "For some reason, my guts told me that they meant no harm…"

She trailed off as if lost in her memories before she shook her head and continued, "I'm not sure how much time passed since then, but I'd spent it with these guys until I found you."

Her smile turned a bit sad, "I'm not sure why but, the moment I decided to help you, they ran away…"

And her eyes were glassy with tears, "I thought I wouldn't see them again…"

Yu was silent as he remembered the time when Teddie had disappeared.

The way he'd felt back then…

Gray eyes closed briefly.

He'd been _terrified_, thinking that he'd lost another loved one…

His hands clenched into fists.

…because he'd already almost lost his little cousin-sister.

Shaking off the melancholy that casted over him, Yu spoke softly,

"But they're here with you now."

Minako looked up at him and her lips quirked into a watery smile,

"Yeah… They are, aren't they…?"

The sound of roaring waves caught their attention and they looked up to see that they'd finally reached the coast.

Not too far in the distance laid the radio tower.

Sort of.

"I guess this confirms it," Minako said as she squinted, "I can barely see it."

Which was an understatement as she _really_ had to focus in order to catch even the smallest glimpse of the radio tower's outline.

The brunette turned to her Shadow friends and crouched down to hug them tightly, chirping, "Thank you guys sooo much~!"

They gurgled and chattered incoherently to Yu's ears but he could see them nuzzling her with obvious affection.

_Either that or they're just tricking her._

Although willing to give them a chance, Yu was still hesitant about turning his attention away from them since he was unsure of their intelligence.

_Let's hope that Minako-san's gut feelings are true, otherwise…_

He didn't want to see her betrayed expression if they ended up trying to kill her when her guard was down.

_It'd be too cruel…_

"Alright then," Minako spoke up again as she looked back at him, "There's supposed to be this ship that appears every now and then. We can commandeer it."

"Sounds simple enough," Yu agreed before asking, "But do you know how to steer it?"

She paused before smiling sheepishly.

"I figured as much," he sighed and looked at the tower, "But, if all else fails, we can probably get there with our Personas."

"True," she agreed thoughtfully, "I guess that should've been our first plan but…"

A blush lit up her cheeks as she admitted, "I kind of wanted to captain a ship."

He rolled his eyes at her and she defended childishly,

"You can't honestly say you haven't thought of doing that before!"

But before he could answer, Yu tensed as his battle instincts flared before–

"Look out!"

–something exploded out of the water, causing heavy water to crash down on them.

Waterlogged, Yu scrambled to his feet on the wet sand when the waves receded before his eyes widened upon seeing that Minako had been pulled out into the sea.

The brunette coughed out the salty water before tensing when a shadow fell over her.

Snapping her head up, she suddenly froze when smooth scales brushed against her cheek, sending chills of Fear throughout her body, as the Carnal Snake twisted and soared around her.

"Minako!" Yu shouted as his heart was seized with horror, "Move!"

But she couldn't.

Her limbs were locked.

Her body felt heavy.

_Is this…the end of me…?_

Her eyes closed.

Her heart tightened.

_I…was too weak._

But then she was suddenly thrown into the air and her eyes snapped open to see–

_No…_

Her heart was doused in ice at the sight and she screamed,

"NO…!"

–sharp metal pierced through three blue masks as black liquid splattered across her face.

Wide-eyed, Yu was rooted in place.

_They…saved her._

And the trio of (not so) Cowardly Mayas dissipated into nothingness.

_They weren't evil after all…_

Sorrow tugged at his heart before he caught sight of Minako falling.

Cursing under his breath, Yu forced himself to move and dived to catch her just before she could land on and break her neck.

"Minako!" he pulled her into sitting position, "Get a hold of yourself!"

He shook her a bit but she was unresponsive, gazing sightlessly at the inky darkness that tainted her hands.

A shadow passed by overhead and Yu swore again when she didn't even flinch, still in shock.

"Come," he shouted as a familiar Fool-based card appeared, "Izanagi!"

Shattering glass resounded and the blade-wielding Persona appeared in a swirl of blue light before charging forward.

Their weapons clashed against one another.

"Ziodyne!"

White lightening struck the enemy Shadow but it barely flinched and shrugged off the current before darting forward with its fangs bared.

A piercing sound caused Yu to flinch a bit but he ignored the Eerie Sound and swung an arm forward.

"Heaven's Blade!"

Izanagi's mighty sword mimicked his master's movement and cleaved through the serpent's open jaw in a single slash.

Screeching in failure, the Carnal Snake dissipated into nothingness.

With the enemy finally defeated, the gray-haired male sighed in relief and smiled gratefully at Izanagi who tilted his head a bit and soon disappeared in a gentle glow of blue light.

Returning his attention to the still girl in his arms, Yu gazed worriedly at her and squeezed her shoulders in a show of comfort.

"Minako-san…?"

Slowly, she lifted her face and the sheer degree of _shockpain_**_grief_** on her face sent his mind reeling.

"Minako-san, you…" he couldn't quite get his thoughts in order, "The Shadows, they…"

Because her normally bright eyes were hollow and so, _so lost_ as she shook her head slowly.

"They weren't just Shadows, Yu… They…"

Her voice broke painfully in the end.

"They were my _friends_."

* * *

**Next Scent**

* * *

"No more… Just… _No more_."

_"He wished for a friend."_

"…I'm going back."

_Am I…making a mistake?_

* * *

**_Fairy Tale_**

* * *

"Yu...!"

* * *

**Author's Note: **Vicious Cliffhanger! And it will stay that way for a while... I need to write the backbones first or you guys are going to wait longer... So please write a nice and somewhat **longer** review than you're used since this chapter is kinda ends with a dark twist! I would appreciate if you review this chapter specifically because I do expect** huge** reactions :P.


	8. Fairy Tale

**Author's Note: WARNING: **If you have not read_ Nameless Monster_, then don't continue further or else you'll be lost.

I have a **beary** serious question for you guys... _How do you know when a story is updated?_ Let me know in your reviews! I'm curious about that. It seems that I always update in a bad time... *headdesk*

For _All Alone With You_ fans that was written by my partner _Gin Nanashi_... Then please check out** Fragments of Our Life**! It is MinatoXMinako centered around it. It has connections to the story or typical MinatoXMinako stories in general. Support my partner by **Review/Favorite/Follow**!

Also checkout a drawing that my partner made for this chapter! Her deviantArt user name is Kira-Tsume... Check her drawings out! Enjoy!

P.S. : Please review or I feel that I'm not appealing to you... *sobs*

* * *

It was some time later that Yu found himself back in the dorm with a very quiet Minako.

After that shocking turn of events, he'd decided that it was for the best if they retired and put off their operation to destroy the radio tower.

"…Minako-san…?"

She didn't respond and simply ghosted upstairs listlessly.

Yu bit the inside of his cheek, unsure of how to comfort the girl.

_They were only Shadows._

A part of him couldn't help but think at first when another part hissed at him,

_But so was _Teddie_._

Gray eyes narrowed in thought.

If it had been his bear-friend who'd fallen in that battle…

His jaw tightened as his heart squeezed painfully before he shook his head to quickly rid himself of that thought.

_I have no right to think of them as evil and mindless…_

Not when he was friends with one, albeit a Shadow with a concrete Ego.

_What if all Shadows can gain one…?_

_What if we've been fighting…_killing_…would-be "Teddies"…?_

_…damn it…_

Suddenly exhausted from his thoughts, Yu collapsed onto the sofa and heaved a sigh.

"What should I do now…?"

He felt as lost as Minako probably was.

"Do we keep on going…?"

Logically, he knew that he needed to in order to leave the TV World but his thoughts kept returning to what had happened.

_…If I really think about it, Shadows are alive, aren't they?_

He'd heard them screech in pain during battle, seen them run away in fear…

_They cared enough to die for her._

Simply existing in animation meant that they were living.

And all living things strive to stay alive for even a second longer.

But those Shadows, those supposedly _Cowardly_ Mayas, gave up their lives to save someone who'd initially killed Shadows…

His thoughts were going nowhere fast except to further depress himself.

Ruffling his hair out of frustration, Yu thumped his head against the backrest and forced himself to think about something else but his thoughts kept returning to Minako's situation.

_Before I came here…_

In order for her to befriend Shadows…

_How long did she go without human contact?_

Even if they were the ones to find her…

_She initially fought them as well, didn't she?_

She would've needed time to bond with them on that level.

_…she must have been beyond lonely…_

Those empty red eyes flashed through his mind and he couldn't suppress a shudder in remembrance.

_Does she…regret befriending them now…?_

Yu couldn't imagine regretting his friendship with Teddie, not even when the bear nearly disappeared back then.

_Friends…should be cherished no matter what._

Because he remembered those desolate days of moving from place to place without anyone to love or be loved by…until he'd lived in Inaba anyway.

At that thought, Yu smiled a bit.

_…goro~goro…_

Blinking, the male sat up and rubbed at his growling stomach as all depressing thoughts flew out of mind for the moment.

_Hungry…_

Getting up and making his way into the kitchen, Yu looked through the cabinets and sweated when he saw that one was filled to the brim with different flavored instant noodles.

_Ramen–the boon of dorm life._

Regardless of its cheapness, he decided to fix a few bowls for himself and for Minako when she came back down.

If_ she comes back down..._

But he shook off his uncertainty and decided to heat up some water, silently grateful that everything seemed to work the same way as they did in the real world.

_That's one less thing to worry about…_

Still, the sheer detail of this new area boggled his mind a bit since the previous places that he and his friends had gone through were more dungeon-like, with dead ends and empty rooms and enemies both visible and hidden.

_Has this place fully become her reality…?_

Waiting for the water to boil, Yu leaned against the counter and gazed at nothing in particular as he thought on that.

_Minako-san's been here before me–that much I can assume._

She also could use Personas, knew this place like the back of her hand, and was able to befriend a few Shadows…

He winced in remembrance and shifted his thoughts away from that dark topic.

_I should ask her if she remembers anything now about when she was thrown in…_

Yu furrowed his brows–

_…a mesh of light and dark…_

_…silver…_

_…dark blue..._

–and his head pounded a bit.

"…ngh…"

He rubbed at his temples to relieve himself of the pain.

_I guess my memories of that part are still a bit fuzzy…_

But he still remembered _something_.

_Colors, huh…_

With a sigh, he stuffed his hands into his pockets before pausing.

_What the…?_

Pulling it out, Yu looked at the black tie in confusion.

_Since when did I have this…?_

He couldn't recall and frowned deeply as he tried wracking his brain for answers…

_From before? After? During?_

…only to end up with another headache.

Sighing heavily, he decided to put it aside since he wasn't having much luck with remembering and the kettle whistled.

Turning off the stove, Yu prepared the cup ramen when the familiar feeling of being watched caused him to pause.

With a hand poised to pull out and crush his Persona card, the gray-haired male swiftly turned around–

"Who's there?!"

–but saw no one and nothing out of the ordinary.

Unnerved by this, he hesitated for a second before wondering,

_Could it have been Minako-san…?_

He was doubtful that she'd just hang back but, then again, given what had happened…

_Maybe..._

Silently making his way to the doorway of the kitchen, Yu peered into the living room and at the staircase.

_…Or not._

Sweating, the male scratched his cheek in confusion.

_Am I just being paranoid?_

With a sigh, he turned around and–

"…?!"

–quickly jumped back in a defensive position.

Sitting on the counter and munching on the now-cooked ramen was a young man who appeared to be the same age as him.

"…Who are you?" asked Yu as he delayed summoning his Persona upon seeing the other's nonaggressive stance, "How did you get in here?"

_And when exactly did you slip past me?_

Silver eyes blinked slowly at him as the newcomer slurped up a particularly long piece of noodle.

(And, in the back of his mind, Yu couldn't help but notice how cliched this entire situation was.)

"…Well?" he prodded when the other didn't answer.

Apparently finished with his meal, the shorter male set down the bowl and clapped his hands together, murmuring, "Gochisousama…"

Irritated with being ignored, Yu was highly tempted to summon Izanagi anyway and spiritual energy began to swirl slowly around him.

Noticing this, the intruder tilted his head to look at him as his dark locks fell over his right eye before speaking,

"Calm down. I'm not here to harm you or…"

Noticing that his gaze was elsewhere, Yu turned to see Minako slowly making her way downstairs in a new change of clothes and turned back–

"…!"

–only to see that the blue-haired boy had disappeared.

Ruffling his hair with a hint of exasperation at being evaded, Yu could only sigh before he deadpanning at the pile of empty styrofoam bowls.

_And, _of course_, he ate everything I'd made…_

Barely holding back a groan, the gray-haired male tossed away the disposable cups before pulling out some more instant noodles to prepare.

_At least there's more hot water…_

He heard the sound of a chair being pulled out and saw Minako sit down in the window's reflection before placing her share on the table in front of her and pausing upon seeing her clothes.

"That uniform…"

Covering herself in a self-conscious manner, Minako mumbled, "Oddly enough, I couldn't find anything else…"

She was blushing a bit and, adding that to the fact that she was wearing a boy's uniform that was a bit too big on her…

_Cute._

It was almost like she was trying on her boyfriend's clothes.

Yu couldn't help but smile at the thought.

But then he remembered.

_That boy had on the same uniform._

* * *

**_Fairy Tale_**

* * *

_So does that mean he's from Gekkoukan as well?_

Raising a hand to cover his frown, Yu thought on that for a moment.

_And was he also thrown in here?_

Something tugged at his memory and unease churned in his stomach.

_…Or was _he_ the one who threw _us_ in?_

He was unsure but, given the way the blue-haired boy had come and gone without a trace, he was also extremely suspicious.

"Yu-kun…?"

Gray eyes blinked before he noticed that he'd been staring at a worried and uncomfortable Minako for the past minute.

_…I'd better keep this from her for now. She already has too much on her plate._

He bowed his head apologetically, "Sorry about that. I was just thinking…"

"I could tell," she replied with a teasing half-smile, "You had that 'hush-I'm-contemplating-the-universe' look in your eyes."

Perking up a bit at her less dull tone, Yu raised a brow and joked, "That's an actual look?"

Stroking her pretend-beard, she nodded sagely, "Indeed it is, young grasshopper. Perhaps one day you shall succeed your master in the Art of Perception."

He couldn't help but snort a laugh and she managed to crack a faint grin.

They fell into a tentatively comfortable silence and dug into their meal with a soft, "Itadakimasu…"

From his place across of her, Yu discreetly looked her over.

She was still paler than usual and her shoulders were slumped from invisible burdens.

_Hiding._

He covered up a thoughtful frown with his bowl.

_She's trying to hide her pain._

Yu could only imagine how she felt and, if his imagination had hurt him as much as it had, then…

_Just how much are you going though…?_

"Minako-san."

She looked up and he was amazed by how quickly she pasted on a smile that seemed increasingly fake the more he realized that she was pretending to be okay.

"About what happened…"

It was subtle but she tensed.

"…How are you feeling?"

Her smile faltered and he knew that he was being intrusive but…

_Bottling everything up inside won't help her in the least._

As if sensing his intentions, Minako finally dropped her pretense and looked at him with blank eyes.

He hid a wince at just how _wrong_ it looked on her.

"I…" she looked down at her hands, "I-I…"

Her voice failed her and she swallowed thickly before shaking her head and falling silent but he could read between the lines.

_"I don't want to fight them anymore…"_

Yu bit the inside of his cheek before asking,

"What do you want to do then?"

_What will you do in order to leave this prison?_

She curled in on herself and whispered,

"I don't know… I just…_don't know_."

_"What will you have me do, Yu?"_

Her hands shook as they clenched into fists.

_"Must I taint these hands of mine even further?"_

"No more… Just… _No more_."

_"No more fighting. No more destroying. No more _killing_ Shadows."_

And what could he say to that?

It would be too cruel of him to insist that she continue when she'd just lost her friends.

Yu pursed his lips as he realized,

_Her parents… Her lover… And now this…_

A chill ran down his spine.

_It's like death follows her._

"…I'm tired."

He forced himself to not flinch.

"I'm going to sleep," she mumbled as she stood up and made her way into the living room before pausing and adding, "You should rest up too."

Without waiting for his answer, Minako curled up on the couch and buried her face into her arms in a fetal position.

Yu hesitated for a moment before following her and sitting down on an armchair.

_What a mess this has turned out to be…_

Silence reigned in the dorm and he closed his eyes with a silent sigh, losing himself in his memories…

_"Did you know," the beautiful Velvet Room attendant asked with a faint smile, "That Black Frost has a rather tragic past?"_

_"How so?" he'd asked, wondering if all Personas had a story of their own._

_Golden eyes grew a bit somber, "You see, Black Frost has lived alone for over thousands of years…"_

_(…she must have been beyond lonely…)_

_"But, even as he continued on with his solitude, Black Frost prayed and prayed to the sky," Margaret spoke softly, "He wished for a friend."_

_(How long did she go without human contact?)_

_"Eventually, the god whom he served granted him his wish and gave him a friend for a single day," her eyes held a hint of pity, "Those two were as happy as they can be and spent many hours frolicking together until the day ended…"_

_("They weren't just Shadows, Yu… They," her voice broke painfully in the end, "They were my _friends_.")_

_"And his friend vanished right before his eyes."_

_(–sharp metal pierced through three blue masks as black liquid splattered–)_

_"Black Frost regretted making that wish," she almost sighed in sympathy, "If he had known he would have been left sad and lonely, he would never have asked for a friend in the first place…"_

_(Does she…regret befriending them now…?)_

_"No more… Just… _No more_."_

Gray eyes snapped open and gazed at the off-colored ceiling in a daze.

_Black Frost…_

Slowly sitting up, Yu winced a bit from the stiffness in his neck and held his head in pain.

_I guess…everything that'd happened just…_

It had been rather random but he assumed that the events from earlier had called up that specific memory.

"Minako…"

"Yes?"

Snapping his head to the direction of her voice, Yu almost fell off of the armchair when the kink in his muscle throbbed painfully–

"Whoa!"

–but Minako managed to catch him under his arms.

"You okay?" she asked, "I didn't mean to startle you…"

He twitched and hoped that she couldn't feel his blush.

_Not that I have much hope considering that I'm _pressed against her_!_

Giving himself a mental shake, Yu backed off and rolled his tense shoulders in order to loosen up the soreness in his neck.

"…Sorry about that," he apologized yet again through his embarrassment before noticing, "You haven't changed yet?"

Her cheeks flushed and she hugged herself with a hint of a pout on her lips, grumbling, "I forgot to change the dryer's setting from delicate to regular…"

His brows raised in amusement and she chucked a water bottle at him.

Unfortunately for her, Yu easily caught it and smirked saucily at her.

Minako glowered at him before abruptly sobering and asking,

"What are you going to do now?"

The gray-haired male was silent, opting to twist open the cap and sip at his drink in thought.

_What _will_ I do…?_

_…Shadows…_

_Whether they're alive or not, I..._

"…I'm going back," he finally said in a firm tone, "We still have to deal with that radio tower."

She flinched and looked away, digging her nails into her arms.

Gray eyes softened before Yu continued, "In the meantime, why don't you stay here and search the place? There might be clues hidden here as well."

The look on her face told him that she knew what he was doing but she didn't kick up a fuss at being left behind and simply nodded in agreement.

It almost made him wish that she'd argue back, just to erase that darkness from her eyes.

But time was ticking and he didn't know how long this world would continue to sustain them so Yu set out to destroy the radio tower.

Back in the dorm, Minako stared down at her knees and bit her lower lip in thought,

_Am I…making a mistake?_

Her head bowed dejectedly as red eyes closed.

"Yu…"

_Stay safe._

Swiftly making his way towards the coast, Yu clenched his fists as his eyes squinted to see the radio tower slowly disappear from sight with each step closer.

In the distance, the clouds were dark and ominous looking.

Gray eyes narrowed as he stepped onto the sand and suddenly realized,

_Those aren't clouds._

Black wings beat against the green sky, slicing through the air, as high-pitched screeches echoed in the Dark Hour.

_Venus Eagles,_ he identified as his mind recalled past analyses and battles, _Weak to Bufu and Mudo spells._

There were numerous of them and they were all circling the radio tower.

_Are they attracted to it…?_

But he couldn't ponder on that any further as a few seemed to have noticed him and released a war cry that directed all of the others to follow.

"Tch…"

Conjuring a Persona card of the Devil arcana, Yu crushed it and called forth,

"Beelzebub!"

The massive fly-like creature appeared in a swirl of blue light and shattered glass and took off into the sky.

The bird-like Shadows shrieked indignantly when the Persona slammed into them and dispersed the flock and Yu hesitated for a second before firmly shaking his head.

_Possibility or no, even if those Mayas were kind to Minako, it doesn't change the fact that Shadows wouldn't hesitate to kill._

Solidifying his resolve, Yu commanded his other self,

"Mamudoon!"

The soft glow of violet will-o'-wisps appeared around each of his enemies, drawing out an array of runes, before the flock (save for a few that were lucky enough to escape) let loose a final scream in stereo and dispersed into nothingness…

But it appeared that the cry captured the attention of countless nearby Shadows that were swift in caging him in.

Gritting his teeth, Yu lowered his stance in preparation to run as Beelzebub buzzed around him protectively.

"Megidolaon…!"

An explosion shook the dorm with its shockwave and Minako dropped her newly cleaned uniform in favor of steadying herself against the dryer.

_What was that?!_

She looked out of the window and her eyes widened upon seeing a crater of barren land that flickered with static in the distance before she noticed a familiar giant fly, upon which was a speck of gray, that was being chased by a swarm of Shadows.

"Yu…!"

An image of three cooing Cowardly Mayas flickered through her mind's eyes and she hesitated before–

_Smack!_

–she slapped her cheeks and scolded herself harshly,

"He's out there fighting for his life so buck up, Stupid!"

And she was already running towards the sound of battle.

_"You cannot avoid death."_

Her hands tightened in remembrance of that distorted voice but still she pushed on, legs pounding against the road of flickering screens, as she vowed silently,

_I won't let him die…_

_(Not like Mama and Papa and…)_

_I'll protect him…_

_(So long as I still breathe with life…)_

_I won't let anyone else die before me…!_

Red eyes narrowed dangerously as she lifted her Evoker to her head.

"Come, Kartikeya!"

Gray eyes snapped towards her in shock as the peacock-riding Persona appeared in a burst of blue and soared high into the sky, capturing all of the Shadows' attention.

"Myriad Arrows!"

Kartikeya glowed gold as he lifted his spear into the sky before thrusting downward and the sky rained with arrows that pierced through the enemy.

Although he felt a prick of worry for her mental state, Yu couldn't help but feel bolstered with her backup and turned to Beelzebub.

The Persona flickered a bit with static but continued to fly strongly and he swung his arm forward, shouting,

"Beelzebub, Maziodyne!"

A storm of lightning rained down on them, miraculously missing the other Persona, and soon the Shadows disappeared into nothingness.

The area quieted as calmness overtook it.

Yu breathed a sigh of relief before looking over at the brunette and smiling gratefully,

"Thank you, Minako-san."

She glanced up at him from her stance on the beach and flashed a faint smile before turning solemnly to the radio.

Following her silent order, Kartikeya circled overhead her once before taking off to the target.

Raising a hand, Minako uttered but two words,

"Primal Force."

Black and red exploded in the distance as the radio tower crumbled and collapsed and sunk into the mercilessly pounding waves of the sea…

Minako slumped to her knees, pressing a hand to her chest and breathing heavily, as Kartikeya disappeared in a gentle glow of blue light.

Startled, Yu called out her name and Beelzebub descended before disappearing the moment he touched ground.

"Are you hurt?!"

"…Sorry, Yu-kun," she giggled weakly at him when he held her shoulders with worry, "I kind of forgot I could ride Kartikeya here instead of running the whole way."

_…What?_

He deadpanned before slumping over in exhaustion.

"Minako-san, you…"

Her laugh gained a bit more strength and he quirked a smile at that.

_She seems to be doing better._

With that thought in mind, Yu relaxed and looked out into the sea at the remains.

_One down, three more to go._

Confident that they would succeed, the gray-haired male widened his smile into a small grin.

_And it'll go by faster once we meet up with everyone else._

Nodding a bit at that, Yu stood up and held out a hand to the brunette.

"Come on," he urged her up, "Let's head back to the dorm and get some rest."

No longer in despair, she smiled brightly up at him and grabbed his hand, chirping,

"Yeah. I'm pooped out now."

He chuckled at her use of childish idioms before pausing and looking her over.

"…What is it?" she asked upon noticing his stare.

He tilted his head to the side out of curiosity, "Why are you still wearing that? Do you like cross-dressing or something?"

Freezing, Minako blushed and stuttered,

"I-Idiot! As if I had time to change when I had to save _your_ puny ass!"

His eyes widened as he asked in faux innocence,

"Don't you mean my _sexy_ ass?"

…Let it be known that an Evoker to the face hurt more than a pillow.

* * *

**Next Scent**

* * *

"It's all too much of a blur."

"Who are you?"

"I'll need more than just words."

"All is not as it seems."

* * *

**_Encounter_**

* * *

"We'll see each other again."


	9. Encounter

**Author's Note: **So sorry! I took a week break and now I am back! First thing first...** Like the new cover? Tell me please on what you think about it!** (Note: I did not draw it. Belongs to the respectful owner.) Please don't hate me for what I did in this chapter! (It's pretty obvious what I did.)

Anyway... **Fragments of Our Life** is updated... The Reaper and Battle Panties?!** Read/Review** that story to find out!

Thanks to _Gin Nanashi_ for helping me edit the story... Thanks Partner!

**Warning**: Prepared to be more confused! People like mystery right?

Enjoy!

* * *

_Safe…_

Yu relaxed in his seat with a silent sigh and glanced around the kitchen lazily before an unbidden image of that blue-haired boy sitting on the counter appeared in his mind's eye.

_…or not._

He frowned a bit in thought.

_How had he entered without alerting me anyway…?_

The gray-haired male didn't know and that made him uneasy.

_If he was able to get in and out without any trouble…_

Would that mean that his nameless visitor knew more about what was going on than both Minako and himself put together?

_…And why did he disappear when she came down?_

It was almost as if he wanted to avoid meeting her.

_What is his relationship with her…?_

Closing his eyes, Yu tried to recall the other's expression in hopes of discerning _something_ from the stranger.

_Blank…_

But he hadn't been able to read him.

_…like a mask._

Pursing his lips, the city boy leaned against the backrest and sipped at his juice box, absentmindedly poking at his box of animal crackers, as his thoughts jumped from one topic to another.

_Does our wellbeing play into the mastermind's plan?_

Although invisible, time still passed and thus the two teenagers still felt hunger and thirst and exhaustion. But their current base appeared to be a safe house (disregarding the blue-haired boy's inexplicable appearance and disappearance) and the food provided was sustaining them without any ill effects. From all of that, he could only deduce that they needed to be kept alive.

_Or, at least, that's how it seems to be thus far…_

Taking another sip, Yu narrowed his eyes a bit in distaste at being a pawn in someone's plan.

_…No matter what, I won't roll over just because they want me to._

The sound of rummaging cut through his thoughts and he blinked.

"Hm…?"

It was then that he noticed Minako picking apart her own box of animal crackers with the most comically solemn look on her face.

_What is she…?_ he straightened up a bit in interest and wondered aloud, "What are you looking for, Minako-san?"

Without pausing, she replied earnestly, "The Penguin."

Her tone was one that conveyed the utmost importance of her actions, making him raise a brow as he pictured the waddling, flightless, diving bird before he repeated her words in confusion,

"The…Penguin…?"

Hearing how lost he seemed to be, she finally paused in her search in order to cast him an incredulous look before exclaiming, "Don't tell me you don't know about _The _Penguin?!"

He tried not to smile at how animated she'd suddenly become as she waved her arms around and continued sprightly, "It's only, like, _the_ rarest animal cracker _ever_!"

For a second, the gray-haired male was lost in thought as he was suddenly reminded of his tall and rather imposing friend who'd been equally enthusiastic about finding The Penguin…

"–which means that it has to be the tastiest!"

…before deadpanning at her childish declaration.

_Don't they all taste the same?_

But he dared not voice that thought upon seeing the excited spark in her eyes.

_…Well, at least she's not harming anyone with this…_

He tuned out her statistical chatter on the probability of finding each of the different animal crackers and contented himself with simply watching her sift through her box in an enthusiastic search for that legendary animal cracker…

"AHA!"

She pulled the sweet out in triumphant delight.

"I found it! The Peng–Oh wait," she paused in her cheer to scrutinize the design before pouting, "Never mind. It's just a toucan…"

Disappointment was evident in her eyes as she grumped, "Man… Why are they shaped the same?"

Seeing her glare at the piece of snack as if it had personally wronged her (which it might as well have), Yu decided to take a look inside of his own animal cracker box.

Gray eyes flashed across the contents before landing on one particular shape.

_Could it be…?_

Squinting a bit, the male slowly pulled it out.

_…!_

As if sensing the prodigious moment that was to come, Minako shifted her attention to him before her jaw dropped at the sight.

"Yu-kun, is that…? Did you just…?"

And then she was suddenly right next to him, squealing,

"You did! You found it! The _Penguin_!"

A bit disoriented from her unexpected appearance, Yu vaguely wondered how she was able to sneak up on him even when he was aware of her but that thought was blown out of mind upon gazing into wide red eyes.

"Ne, ne, Yu-kun," she started as she clasped her hands together in front of her in a pleading manner, "Can I please, please, _please_ have that legendary animal cracker, you oh-so _awesome_ person of _epic_proportions?"

He'd be lying if he said that he wasn't (secretly) preening with pride.

But he pushed away that feeling and leaned back a bit, pulling The Penguin out of her reach and smiling teasingly.

"That depends," he said loftily, "What will I get in return?"

She paused in her attempt to grab her desire and tilted her head in deep thought.

At that moment, Yu realized that she was almost right on top of him and mentally smacked himself in an effort to destroy the blush that was slowly creeping up on his cheeks before quickly snapping out of it when she asked,

"Well, what do you want?"

Ignoring the way that she eyed his hand (or rather, the sweet in his hand) hungrily, he considered his options for a moment before replying soberly,

"Answers."

She blinked at that and retreated with a confused look on her face.

"Answers?" she repeated and asked, "To what?"

Losing the tension that had gripped him now that she was at a respectable distance away, Yu straightened up and said rather vaguely, "To whatever I ask."

She pursed her lips and crossed her arms, silently debating her course of action.

For a moment, he expected her to decline since she was no longer looking so wistfully at The Penguin but…

"To obtain, something of equal value must be lost," she finally replied, fixing her eyes sharply on him, "You only have one Penguin so I'll answer only one question without protest."

He sweated, mentally sulking at losing his advantage, but he wanted to know and so he asked,

"Tell me, in detail, what can you remember of the time before you were forced into the TV World?"

Silence descended over them as Minako's expression blanked out.

Yu resisted the urge to squirm at that unsettling look on her face.

_They're oddly similar, _he couldn't help but compare her to that mysterious boy, _I just can't read them like this…_

Unaware of his thoughts, the brunette slipped into the nearest seat with furrowed brows and extended a hand to grab her juice box, sipping at it quietly before setting it back down again.

"…Sorry," she finally said with a hint of frustration in her voice, "It's all too much of a blur."

* * *

**_Encounter_**

* * *

"You can't remember anything?" Yu frowned before pressing her, "Nothing at all? Not even a clue?"

She pursed her lips and squinted a bit, as if that would help her see the truth, but nothing popped into mind as her temples throbbed.

The cold weight known as guilt weighed in his heart when the gray-haired boy saw the brunette rub at her forehead with a faintly pained look on her face but he pushed it aside because there were just too many questions without clear-cut answers and he _needed_ to figure this out before something even _worse_ happened.

_No longer in despair, she smiled brightly up at him and grabbed his hand, chirping, "Yeah. I'm pooped out now."_

At that time, he'd simply chuckled at her use of childish idioms and teased her about cross-dressing but…

_Seeing the dorm appear in his line of sight, Yu turned to joke about whether or not she would finally change but ended up freezing instead._

_Darkness continued to linger in her falsely bright eyes._

…that one moment told him that she hadn't recovered as much as he'd hoped.

A thick tension fell over them and he wondered if he was pushing _too much_–

_What if I end up breaking her?_

–and his heart felt like it stopped beating upon imagining those soulful eyes staring blankly at him but not truly _seeing _him–

_That's enough._

–and he was just about to call off his interrogation when she suddenly jerked upright, whispering,

"Gold…"

Gray eyes blinked in surprise before narrowing in suspicion.

"I remember," she spoke slowly, almost dazedly, "There were these gold eyes and they were," a flicker of confusion on her face, "Unnatural?"

She frowned, as if uncomfortable with that description, and Yu hesitated for a second before prodding her in hopes of gaining more insight.

"When exactly did you see those eyes?"

Although she looked increasingly distressed, she continued in an oddly even tone, "I was…already here…already inside of the TV."

She rubbed at her forehead and sighed with clear aggravation, "Sorry but, for some reason, I can't remember where I was or what was I doing before being thrown in..."

And then she _flinched_.

"Minako?!"

Immediately, he was on his feet, clutching her shoulders before she fell off of her seat, and a whimper left her lips.

His heart clenched at the sound.

"…I'm sorry, Yu," she whispered as she looked up at him with troubled eyes, "I just… It just _hurts_ to try and remember…"

He bit his tongue and raised a hand to pat her head soothingly.

Her eyes fluttered close under his touch and, bit by bit, she gradually relaxed as the misery on her face lightened.

"…Sorry," he finally mumbled as the guilt inside of him settled in his guts like force-fed stones, "I shouldn't have pushed you so hard…"

She didn't say anything for a time before suddenly poking him in the side and chuckling somewhat weakly,

"Don't worry so much. I get why you're so impatient with this. Even I…"

She trailed off and the heaviness that hung over him eased…sort of anyway.

Another poke caused him to look at her curiously and he was even more relieved to see a teasing smile on her lips.

"By the way," she almost sang as her eyes glittered mischievously, "You asked _two_ questions so I get something in addition to The Penguin."

_Wha…?_

His mind blanked out on him…

…before he sputtered in denial.

Suddenly energetic, Minako simply clicked her tongue at him and waggled a finger in imitation of a scolding mother.

"Your first question asked about _before_ I got thrown in," she explained with an impish grin, "But my answer to your _second _question was about _after_ I was already here."

Stubbornness lined her chin and Yu struggled for a moment, not-pouting before eventually conceding to her logic and sighing, "What do you want then?"

A victorious smile graced her lips as she tapped her chin in thought before an odd look appeared on her face.

_Is she remembering something…?_

"On the day that you were thrown in," she finally asked as her emotions were carefully tucked away behind a facade of casual curiosity, "What was the exact date?"

Frowning a bit in perplexity, the gray-haired boy wondered why she was asking but knew that she wouldn't answer if he asked so he answered easily, "It was a Monday, the seventh of May in the year 2012."

Surprise flashed across her face.

_And was that a hint of despair?_

Yu wasn't sure but there had been something dark in her eyes for just a second that set off warning bells in his head.

_…What else are you hiding, Minako?_

He felt a bit frustrated with all of this tip-toeing around but his upbringing wouldn't allow him to press her any further.

Instead, he shifted his thoughts to what little she did remember.

_Unnatural gold eyes…_

Looking away in thought, he wondered.

_Could this be the work of someone's Shadow…?_

That mysterious blue-haired boy popped into mind again.

_Perhaps his…?_

He glanced over at the quiet brunette.

_It could even be hers..._

But her case was more complicated as she had befriended a few Shadows and her would-be Shadow had yet to appear to confront her.

_Or maybe it's someone else's entirely?_

A thump made him turn to see Minako knocking her forehead against the table and it was then that he noticed that The Penguin was gone.

_When did she–?!_

His pride felt battered at having been caught off guard so many times now.

_…I think my badassity meter just dropped 50 points._

Briefly, he wondered if he should roll around in depression as Teddie was prone to do but yet another poke dragged his attention away from that thought.

"You okay?" she asked with wide eyes, "You look kind of sad."

For a split-second, Yu debated ranting to her about his decreasing coolness before realizing that he was beginning to sound a bit (just a bit) crazy and decided to (smartly) return her question.

Minako smiled sheepishly with a hint of strain.

"Sorry 'bout that," she apologized and ruffled her bangs in embarrassment, "I was still trying to remember but…"

His eyes softened upon seeing her still bothered by her disjointed memories and he reached out to ruffle her hair once more, "It's okay, Minako-san."

She pouted a bit at being treated like a child but didn't smack his hand away.

He quirked a small grin at that before pulling away and suggesting, "Thank you… For trying," he clarified when he saw her slightly bewildered countenance, "We should rest up for now. It's been a long…Dark Hour," he finished a bit lamely.

The brunette snickered softly but nodded in agreement before bouncing out of her seat for upstairs, chirping,

"You can grab a room on the second floor~!"

Replying in the affirmative, Yu stood up and stretched out his sore muscles, wanting nothing more than to sleep the time away, when he heard knocking on the door.

_Who–?_

Frowning a bit, Yu stepped silently towards the door with a hand ready to summon Izanagi just in case.

_Too bad there isn't a peephole,_ a distant part of his mind mused, _It would make this a bit easier…_

Nonetheless, he grabbed hold of the knob and twisted it before swinging open the door and deadpanning at the sight.

_Seriously…?_

His hand twitched from the growing desire to just face-palm at the situation.

_First he shows up out of nowhere like a ninja and then he knocks like some kind of gentleman?_

Gray eyes glared into silver ones.

_…Is he even in his right mind?_

The blue-haired boy merely quirked a brow at the cold greeting before shrugging and speaking softly, "Let's go out for a bit," a pause before he added, "I'll answer some questions then."

Yu continued staring at him distrustfully and, for a second, he thought that he saw respect flash through the other's eyes before they returned to that blankness that was both disturbing and familiar.

(Because he couldn't _read_ them.)

Tense silence surrounded them for a moment before Yu finally asked, "Why not talk inside?"

And the nameless boy tilted his head in the direction of another radio tower, returning his question with another, "Don't you want to take those down as soon as possible?"

_True._

A frown appeared on the taller one's lips.

_But am I ready?_

He clenched his fists and mentally went over his condition before deciding.

_I did rest a bit and, if worst comes to worst, I have a Traesto Gem handy._

The item had been picked up just after that free-for-all on the coast.

"Besides," the stranger drawled, "Your…" he trailed off and paused as his lips twitched minutely, "Girlfriend–" "We're not together," Yu immediately interjected with a blush but was ignored as the other continued, "–is tired from that last battle so we'll just leave her here. Besides, you want to get out of here as soon as possible, correct?"

_And how would you know that?_

But the taller male refrained from sniping back and opted to watch the other in a calculating manner instead.

His look was returned with another raised brow before the blue-haired boy turned around and started walking away, silently commanding him to follow.

_…Tch._

Despite the annoyance that he felt at being commanded by the outsider, Yu ended up trailing after him anyway.

_Be ready, Izanagi…_

His other self shifted in his mind.

Minutes passed in silence before the gray-haired male realized that his visitor was content to simply walk in silence unless he were to take initiative.

_Ask and you shall receive, as they say._

"So," Yu began as he watched the other closely, "Who are you?"

Silver eyes glanced over at him before he replied shortly, "Makoto Yuki."

"…Yu Narukami," he introduced himself just as curtly.

The air between them was so thick that one could almost cut through it.

Clenching his hand in his pocket, Yu slowed down upon feeling a different texture and blinked in confusion before soon remembering.

"Yuki-san," he called out and tightened his hold on the object, pulling it out and showing it to the other, asking, "Do you recognize this?"

Makoto slowed a bit to match the taller male's pace and eyed the article critically for a moment before answering,

"It looks like the tie for Gekkoukan's boy uniform, like the one I'm wearing," he gestured to his own tie, "It's not mine though," a pause as silver eyes gained a hint of steel, "Or maybe it is and I'd simply replaced it to confuse you."

The air around the two seemed to crackle as each eyed the other suspiciously before Makoto abruptly continued on in an airy tone,

"Then again, I haven't physically attacked you," Yu could almost hear the "yet" in his voice, "Regardless, whoever owned that was probably wearing this same uniform," an unbidden image of Minako dressed in one popped into mind, "In any case, I would assume that it's been replaced by now so it's not a very good indicator if you're looking to find the owner."

_I had a feeling that that would be the case_, Yu thought with a hint of irritation at the boy's personality, _My attacker wouldn't be so careless._

And then he paused.

_My…attacker…?_

His temple throbbed a bit–

_A sharp pain exploded at the base of his head–_

_–he felt his assailant grab the front of his shirt–_

_–sink backwards–_

_–turned back and grabbed–_

_"You're…!"_

–before his fragmented memory slipped away from his grasp once more.

"–then I'd suggest you sniff him out," he realized that Makoto was still speaking, "Otherwise, you'll continue to be eluded."

Yu remained silent as he scrutinized the blue-haired boy again.

_Was it him…?_

The shorter male definitely put him on edge and yet…

_Why do I feel like he's not _my_ enemy…?_

Gray eyes blinked slowly as he thought on that.

_Is it because he reminds me a bit of Minako…?_

The brunette did have a way of putting him at ease despite some discrepancies.

_Hm…_

"…Alright," Yu finally spoke up as he replaced the tie into his pocket and extended a metaphorical olive branch, "So will you be joining us?"

Silver eyes widened as Makoto was caught off guard, stuttering,

"W-What…?"

Looking at the shorter male in an almost lazy manner, Yu repeated his question and waited.

"…You don't _know_ me," was his answer as silver eyes narrowed at him, "Why are you inviting me into your…pairing."

(To say that Minako and Yu were a group would have been a misnomer.)

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Yu explained slowly, "Because you're not my enemy."

And the other suddenly whirled on him with a hiss,

"Don't you get it?! I may in fact _be _your enemy!"

In the back of his mind, Yu wondered why he seemed so frazzled by the invitation but the thought was drowned out by the sudden wave of danger that emanated from the shorter male.

_I…may have underestimated him._

A bead of sweat trailed down his face…

_What an intense pressure…_

…and Yu began to second-guess his own power.

_Can I beat him in a straightforward fight?_

"…What happened to your suspicion?" Makoto demanded as his voice reverted to its usual blankness, "Why have you suddenly put so much trust in me? I may just _stab you in the back_."

_"As _he_ did to us."_

Gray eyes blinked, wondering why he suddenly felt that there was more to what the other was saying, but he responded nonetheless,

"Normally, I'll need more than just words."

He paused upon feeling the oppression vanish.

"But I think that you've proven to me that you're _not_ my enemy."

And Makoto was about to snap something back but Yu swiftly continued, "If you _were_ my enemy, then you would have offed me when we first met. I couldn't sense you _at all_ and you had the advantage."

_An enemy of mine wouldn't put off my death for so long._

The blue-haired boy looked away in thought, murmuring, "All is not as it seems," before he glanced sharply back at the taller male, "And what if I were just playing with you?"

He gained a pensive mien before shrugging and answering somewhat carelessly, "I don't think you are."

And the other looked irritated again.

_Why are you trying to make me suspect you?_

But then his expression cleared unexpectedly and Makoto moved on, asking frankly, "What other questions do you have for me?"

Yu frowned at the obvious misdirection and was reminded of Minako once more but conceded to the other's silent demand, "How did you come here?"

Makoto tilted his head in thought and answered, "Just like your girlfriend–" "She's not my girlfriend," Yu sighed but was once again ignored as the other continued on, "–I can't remember how I came to be in this place either," he frowned and took in the area, "I do recognize this place though. It reminds me of my hometown…minus the TVs, green sky and Shadows, of course."

_So he does know about Shadows… And he's definitely from Iwatodai._

"So how do you know Minako-san?" Yu asked, "You avoided her last time."

If possible, he looked even _more_ blank than usual before he shrugged and answered, "I don't know your girlfriend–" "We don't have that kind of relationship," Yu responded with a hint of exasperation but was ignored yet again as Makoto spoke softly, "–but I will admit that there's something…_nostalgic_ about her."

And there was that _look_ on his face.

It mirrored Minako's during those odd times…

But, just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone and the shorter male quite randomly mused, "I wonder if anyone's worried about you."

"…I found a way to get a message to them," Yu answered after taking a moment to push back his irritation, "We'll all get out soon and the first step is to take care of those radio towers."

The corners of his lips tipped down as Makoto asked with a hint of doubt, "You think they can actually access this part of the world?"

"…I gave them my address so they're probably getting in the same way I did," he responded after a beat of hesitation when the image of his friends being ambushed appeared in mind again, "They're strong. So I know they'll be okay."

_I have to believe in them._

"Hm…" the blue-haired boy hummed in thought as his eyes glazed over in thought, "I'll see what I can do then…"

Tilting his head a bit, Yu eyed the shorter male curiously and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Silver eyes flickered over to him before Makoto abruptly stopped walking and looked up.

Pausing in surprise, the gray-haired male finally noticed that they'd entered a shopping district before he followed the other's gaze and squinted.

The faint outline of a radio tower was embedded into a building, rising over them in a would-be menacing manner had it been wholly visible, as the screens that decorated the floor emitted their usual eerie yellow glow and disturbing static.

"I wonder if Hagakure's open," Makoto spoke with a hint of longing as he gazed at a familiar building, "A special or five seems nice right about now…"

_And it's back to food for you._

Yu couldn't help but deadpan in remembrance.

_What a glutton…_

"Well?"

He snapped out of his thoughts and blinked in silent question.

Makoto nodded plainly at the radio tower in mute answer.

And before Yu could extend another offer of alliance, the walls of the building suddenly bursted open to reveal a silver warrior mounted atop of an invisible but armor-clad horse.

_That's…_

"It's an Intrepid Knight," the blue-haired boy pointed out blandly and paused when the Shadow turned to them before stating, "Better dodge that."

_…!_

The gray-haired male dived to the side and barely dodged the lance that impaled the ground beside him before sulking a bit,

"You could've warned me sooner, Yuki-san…"

Said male ignored him and continued his monologue, "They attack with wind and light so use a Persona that won't take heavy damage from either," another pause as the enemy raised its weapon, "And I'd hurry if I were you."

Ducking under another slash, Yu pushed aside the urge to grump at the other male again and instead took the time to mentally run through his arsenal of Personas before deciding.

_Nanako…_

A tarot card of the Justice arcana appeared as Yu reached out and crush it in his grip.

"Sraosha!"

From the shattering glass and glow of gentle blue light, the "ear" of Ahura Mazda appeared over him with a scroll in hand.

"It's using Hama," Makoto warned as a gold light shined from the Shadow, "Be careful."

Tags appeared around them but were soon redirected to the enemy as Sraosha reflected the attack and the Intrepid Knight blocked it before Yu called out,

"Ziodyne!"

The Persona's scroll unfurled, revealing characters of an unknown language that glowed in response, and a deadly bolt of lightening struck the Shadow, causing it to screech in pain.

But it hadn't been defeated yet.

Raising its lance, the Shadow was surrounding itself with wind when–

"Yu!"

–the sound of footsteps caught both of their attentions.

Yu turned to see Minako running towards him and was about to shout out a warning when–

_…?!_

–the Shadow vanished into darkness.

_What the…_

For a moment, the gray-haired male simply stared at the empty spot in shock as Minako finally caught up to him and panted in exhaustion, trying to catch her breath.

"Why…did you…leave me alone?" she asked in between breaths with a pout, "I could've helped…!"

Pushing back his apprehension, Yu smiled wanly, "You shouldn't overdo it, Minako-san… You're still tired, aren't you?"

She gave him a look and he sweated as he realized that he was no better now before she huffed, "Take me with you next time."

It was an order.

Regardless, Yu couldn't help but feel warm at having someone by his side before frowning as he took another look at his surroundings.

_Gone…_

Aside from the Intrepid Knight's disappearance, Makoto was nowhere to be found.

_Again._

An irritated look flashed across his face and Minako piped up curiously, "What are you looking for, Yu-kun?"

Gray eyes closed briefly in silent debate before he shook his head and lied, "Nothing."

"…" she watched him blankly before suddenly turning around and chirping, "Let's go to Octopia!"

Yu blinked at the non sequitur before deadpanning, "Now?"

_Shouldn't we focus on taking out the tower?_

She gave him a look that made him feel mildly like an idiot (even though there was no apparent reason to) before she gestured to their surroundings and explained, "Don't you remember what happened when we destroyed the other tower? It collapsed! And this one will to so I want to make sure that we stock up before then. Who knows if everything'll last back in the dorm…?"

A pause before she added, "And I want some Weird Takoyaki."

That said, she dragged him away from the area.

_Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned…best describes this, methinks._

But he allowed himself to be led away, looking back at the slowly reappearing tower with a thoughtful frown.

_That Shadow…_

It was still alive.

_So why did it run away?_

His eyes trailed over to the bubbly brunette.

_Is it because of her…?_

And unease settled over him again as he closed his eyes tiredly.

_Please let this just be paranoia…_

.

.

.

…From elsewhere, Makoto watched the pair from atop of a building and frowned a bit at their intertwined hands before closing his eyes briefly.

"Soon," he murmured to himself softly, "We'll see each other again."

Raised heavenward, his eyes reflected the ominous silver of the moon.

_Minako Arisato, huh…_

* * *

**Next Scent**

* * *

"So… Why did you come in here?"

"It's quite beautiful."

"Do you want to go out with me?"

"Here it comes…!"

* * *

**_Strength_**

* * *

_I fear…that I won't be me anymore._

* * *

**Author's Note**: Please don't hate me if I used** Makoto Yuki** instead of **Minato Arisato**... I really do have a good reason... Why? Well... You guys will find out in the end with my grand explanation! Next scent will be up in two days... See ya!


	10. Strength

**Author's Note**: Welcome my dear readers to the next installment of Fake Me! Since work is going to be piled on me and my partner... The next one might not be up for a while... Meanwhile enjoy this chapter!

**Warning: Read the author's note in the end for a favor that I want to ask of you.**

Thanks to _Gin Nanashi_ for helping me out! Enjoy!

* * *

_It's…tilted…_

Red eyes stared blankly at the obscure but visibly lopsided radio tower, automatically reminded of a certain campanile.

_…just like the Leaning Tower of Pisa._

Her lips twitched in thought of the famous Italian architecture before she tilted her head back to look up at her companion.

"So," Minako paused to chew and swallow the last of her Weird Takoyaki, "Are we gonna destroy it now?"

Gray eyes flickered over at her before dropping to see the various bags at their feet and the boy sighed,

"Let's get these out of the way first."

The two had really gone all out in their shopping spree for supplies, to the point that neither actually thought that they'd consume it all by the end, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

Quickly dropping everything off at the dorm, the teenagers ambled along the road of televisions back to the radio tower at Iwatodai Station.

Along the way, Yu slowed down upon seeing that the door to a particular bookstore was open just a crack.

_Was it like that before?_

Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, the gray-haired male slipped away from Minako's side and towards the building of his interest.

_Hm…_

He pushed open the door and it creaked a bit before the boy silently let himself in and took a look around.

Like any other bookshop, the place was stocked with a variety of literary works…but some were piled up so high that they almost touched the ceiling.

Sweating at the public hazard, Yu carefully walked farther inside when his foot knocked into something.

Gray eyes blinked in surprise before the teen crouched down and picked up a thin, blue book with a picture of the sky as its cover.

_A children's book?_

He turned the book around in search of the title but…

_That's strange…_

…there was none.

Flipping through the book, he took note of how there were no words but rather a series of pictures that told a vague story, starting with a single butterfly that glowed a soft blue in a sea of darkness.

It flew from page to page, making its way from one side to the other, before Yu noticed the appearance of another.

It was a second butterfly.

But it lacked the glow that encompassed the first.

As the pages turned, gray eyes noted an increasing amount of the second kind of butterfly as they floated across the page in a swarm of dull but no less beautiful blue.

Instead of joining them as Yu had initially thought, the first butterfly flew passed the others and into the obscurity again.

It confused the gray-haired male until he noticed a new figure.

_A…person?_

The character was drawn too indistinctly to make out even its gender but it glowed the same bright blue as the singular delicate creature that ended up resting atop of the individual's head on the last page.

_Like one, _he couldn't help but think, _Maybe they're the same?_

A light tap on his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts and he turned around to see Minako looking up at him curiously.

"Did I bother you?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

"No," Yu shook his head in the negative before motioning to the literature in hand and expanding, "I was just looking at this book," a pause as he thought before asking, "Do you recognize it?"

He handed it over to her and watched as her eyes brightened up.

"Yeah! I read it before," she chirped with that nostalgic smile on her lips, "I came here once with my friends…" her voice trailed off and pain flicker across her face but she forced her smile and continued, "…with the Cowardly Mayas."

For a second, he mentally kicked himself for bringing up those painful memories despite not knowing any better.

"There really wasn't much to do around here before you came," Minako murmured as she immersed herself in her memories, "It was actually pretty…peaceful," longing for those times was evident, "We usually passed the time exploring and we came here a few times," her eyes trailed to the book in hand, "I'd read this to them…or rather, 'showed it to them' would probably be more accurately."

Her thumb caressed the pages before she slowly shook her head and placed the literature on top of the table.

"So," the brunette suddenly chirped, "Why did you come in here?"

* * *

**_Strength_**

* * *

Caught off guard by her sudden mood swing, Yu hesitated for a second before answering, "The door was left open so I wondered if someone else was here."

"That–," her cheeks flushed a bit as she smiled sheepishly and looked away, mumbling, "I prob'ly forgot to close the door from before…"

His lips twitched into a smile as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other in a childishly guilty manner.

_Cute._

Turning around in an effort to regain her composure, Minako cleared her throat and glanced back at him in an almost shy manner, suggesting, "Y'know, we can easily visit this place back in the real world. I'm sure that Bunkichi-jii and Mitsuko-baa would love to meet you."

His brows raised as he asked, "Are they your grandparents?"

A fond smile appeared but she shook her head and answered, "We're not actually blood-related but…I love them just the same."

And he believed that because the joy in her eyes seemed far too genuine for anything otherwise.

Finally exiting the bookstore, the two Wild Cards returned to their mission and walked until they were at a safe enough distance from the strip mall.

"Would you like to do the honors, Monsieur?" Minako asked teasingly.

"If that is what the Mademoiselle wishes," Yu smirked back with a mock bow before taking a few steps forward and raising a hand, calling out,

"Izanagi!"

The Fool-based tarot card appeared before it was crushed and the sound of glass shattering echoed alongside the whirl of power as the sword-wielding Persona appeared in a bright blue light.

Raising a hand to point at the translucent radio tower, Yu commanded,

"Heaven's Blade!"

Amber eyes flashed in assent before Izanagi dashed through the air, grabbing hold of his weapon's hilt as energy crackled around him, and, with a mighty swing, cleaved straight through the target.

A beat of silence passed before the building shuddered and groaned and began to fall apart.

Pieces crumbled off of the infrastructure and soon wasted Iwatodai Station, throwing dust into the air.

The Persona returned to his master's side and Minako looked up at him curiously as Yu thanked the god with a small smile, which was returned by a tilt of his head, before Izanagi disappeared in a gentle azure glow…

And then he collapsed.

"Yu?!" Minako immediately fluttered around him with a hint of panic in her voice, "Are you hurt?!"

The gray-haired male grinned weakly at her worried face and waved off her concern, "I'm fine. Just tired. Don't worry so much, okay?"

She fell silent at that, looking away with a conflicted look in her eyes, before nodding hesitantly.

"If you say so…" she murmured and fiddled with her Evoker in contemplation before nodding again in a more resolute manner, "…Okay!"

Gray eyes looked up at her curiously before widening when she pulled the trigger and called out,

"Titania."

The beautiful fairy queen appeared in the midst of shattering glass and glowing light and smiled gently at her mistress.

Minako smiled back before requesting,

"Mediarama, please."

Warmth rushed through their bodies from the soft white light that surrounded them and healed most of their wounds from before.

Yu clenched his fists a few times before smiling over at them and tilting his head in gratitude.

The brunette returned his smile and turned to her Persona, squeezing those larger hands warmly and whispering, "Thank you, Titania."

Said fairy queen tilted her head gracefully as she disappeared in a gentle azure glow.

A beat of silence passed before Minako plopped down beside the male, causing him to look at her in surprise.

"…You're an idiot," she said bluntly, "A reckless idiot."

And he fell over from the insult.

_Ouch._

Ruffling her bangs, the brunette glared at him from the corner of her eyes and scolded, "Even if we took a small break after destroying the first tower, neither one of us had fully recovered to take on the second right away."

_"You're lucky that we haven't not completely exhausted our spiritual energy."_

Yu rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly and red eyes dulled as she whispered more to herself than to him,

"If you'd been ambushed while I slept, I…"

And guilt tugged at his heart as he realized just how terrified she must've been upon awakening and finding herself all alone.

_Again._

He bit the inside of his cheek.

"…Sorry."

She didn't respond to his apology for a long moment before she raised a hand and–

_…!_

–bopped him on the head.

"Punishment," she grumped when he rubbed the side of his head and shot her an incredulous look, "Be thankful that I won't _Execute_ you."

A chill descended over him at that emphasized word and a memory tugged at his mind before it was cut prematurely as she spoke again.

"The next radio tower isn't too far from here," Minako mused aloud and leaned back on her palms to look out into the distance, "Should we take care of it now…?"

Yu followed her gaze and the two of them fell silent, deep in thought, before he pushed himself up and nodded.

"We're already halfway done," he said and stretched before smiling, "We'll get this one down and then rest…for real."

Her sharp gaze turned away and the gray-haired boy sighed in relief.

_Scary…_

Fifteen minutes later, the two Wild Cards found themselves in front of a shrine.

"It's quite beautiful," Yu commented as he looked around and was reminded of a certain apron-wearing friend, "Do you come here often?"

Reaching the top, Minako paused at his question before smiling softly and answering, "Yeah…"

Red eyes took in the sandbox, the seesaws, the green jungle gym and saw the image of a young girl laughing cheerfully with a Mad Bull in hand before trailing over to a shadowed bench where the ghost of a pale young man once sat and spoke of pink alligators and birds and life and death.

_"Maiko-chan… Akinari-kun…"_

Blinking away the tears that burned her eyes, the brunette breathed slowly to calm the flood of emotions that suddenly gripped her heart.

_"Everyone… I miss you all."_

Her hands tightened over her chest.

_Minako…_

Gray eyes glanced away politely as Yu gave her a moment to recompose herself and looked up at the transparent outline of the radio tower that was embedded into the temple.

_Two more… Just two more and then we're free._

Hearing the near-silent sniffles quiet, the gray-haired male spoke up,

"Want to play for a bit?"

Startled, Minako looked up at him with wide eyes before quickly turning away as her cheeks flushed red, stuttering, "I'm not a kid, y'know!"

And he laughed softly as how flustered she looked before making his way to the seesaw and sitting down with a challenging quirk to his brow.

Red eyes narrowed and the brunette huffed but she still followed along and sat on the other side.

As expected now, Yu saw nostalgia gradually appear on her face.

_Maybe,_ he thought as he recalled her fragile moments, _She just wants to be with someone again._

Because _no one_ stayed forever and then she was _lost_ and _alone_ for so, so long in a world unknown to normality…

_…I think the others would like her._

An image of Teddie flirting with her, of Yosuke being a goof to make her smile, of Yukiko and her tutoring Chie in school, of Kanji fumbling awkwardly because of her teasing, of her dragging Naoto out to do something childish, of Nanako and her coloring on the porch, of so many precious moments-to-be appeared in his mind's eye and he couldn't help but smile at the thought.

_Yeah, she'd fit right in._

A giggle drew his attention away and he looked up at the brunette in question.

"Having fun, Yu-kun?" she asked with a wide grin, "You've been smiling for the past hour, y'know~!"

He rolled his eyes at the hyperbole before smirking and responding, "You're the one laughing like a kid, Minako-san."

And she blew a raspberry at him before laughing again.

"I'd forgotten…just how fun it could be to just…let go," she said somewhat breathlessly as she went up and spread her arms out, "It's nice to just unleash the child within every now and then…"

His lips tipped up at how bright her eyes seemed to be.

_Like the sun that shines after the blanket of darkness lifted…_

He quickly shook the poetic thoughts out of mind.

"Hey, Yu-kun," Minako spoke up again as she descended and looked up at him curiously, "I remember there being a shrine in Inaba. Did you ever go there?"

He blinked and she went up again before he nodded and answered, "Yeah, I went to Tatsuhime Shrine a lot over the summer," he paused in thought before smiling, "There wasn't a playground like this one but there was a good spot to catch a bunch of different bugs," she raised a brow at that, "And then there was Fox."

Visibly perking up, she echoed curiously, "Fox?"

Yu nodded and thought about his canid friend fondly, explaining, "Fox is really dedicated to the shrine, always serious about fulfilling people's wishes," before trailing off and bowing his head a bit, "And she always dragged _me_ into helping out…"

Minako laughed a bit at that, making him smile yet again, before he continued, "But it was fun now that I think about it and Fox was really helpful when we explored the TV World back then…"

The brunette looked interested in that and asked, "Did she fight alongside you?"

But the gray-haired boy shook his head and answered, "Despite her appearance, she's actually pretty pacific. She had these special herbs that pretty much cured everything though."

He decided to not tell her how much they costed in the beginning.

And she whistled at that, clearly impressed, before gaining a pensive look in her eyes and wondering, "Would she have gotten along with Koro-chan?"

Yu repeated the unfamiliar name and Minako smiled before clarifying, "Koro-chan's short for Koromaru. He's a Shiba Inu, albino to be exact, and he's the guardian of this shrine," she gazed at the temple wistfully, "We'd always come here for a walk in honor of his master…"

And then she turned to him with a cheeky grin and teased, "He actually fought alongside us with Cerberus."

Gray eyes widened at the implication as he stuttered, "P-Persona…?!"

_A _dog_ could summon one?!_

Her expression grew smug and she sang, "That's Koro-chan for you~!"

_Talk about being mind-blown…_

It took a while for Yu to pull his act together and he blushed a bit upon seeing the sparkling glint in her eyes.

_She's _so_ having fun at my expense…_

But he didn't let it bother him and his eyes trailed over to the radio tower thoughtfully before he tore his gaze away.

_Not yet…_

Although he'd been the one to suggest taking it out right away–

_Just a little longer…_

–he wanted to enjoy this moment of relaxation with his new friend.

Closing his eyes, Yu listened quietly as she hummed through several songs before one caught his attention.

"–shitemo torimodosu kimi no~ I will never leave you~," Minako sang as she tapped her fingers to the beat,

"If you wanna battle then I take it to the street–"

A brow raised when the girl suddenly started rapping in English and then slipped seamlessly into another melody,

"Dreamless dorm~ ticking clock~ I walk away from the soundless room~…"

And his lips twitched when she eventually switched back to the rap before he finally laughed at just how amusingly _adorable_ she was in trying to mimic a man's voice.

"Well boo to you," she huffed after blowing a raspberry in his direction before turning her nose up in mock indignation, "You just can't comprehend my awesomeness."

He snorted at that and she scowled though the playful glint in her eyes told all before they settled down once more.

"That song's actually a remix, y'know," she spoke up when he questioned her, "It's called _Festival_ and, well," she blushed a bit and ruffled her bangs, "Just being here reminded me of the fun times my friends and I had so…"

_She was remembering._

It was such a _Minako_ thing to do that he had to smile again.

"So," he jumped on the topic, "Which festivals did you go to?"

Red eyes looked around the quiet area before turning skywards, taking in the way the clouds floated across the moon and the monochromatic blanket creeping in the distance of the murky green sky, before answering,

"The Summer Festival and the one for New Years," the latter seemed to bring about a certain melancholy that was quickly hidden as she continued smiling, "It was fun wearing kimonos!"

Briefly, he wondered which colors matched her.

_Something warm…like orange maybe?_

He roused himself from his thoughts when he noticed her looking curiously at him and tilted his head a bit in question.

She tapped her lips before suddenly declaring, "Yu-kun would look pretty dashing in a kimono too."

And he raised a brow, momentarily wondering who else would've looked "dashing" in one, before teasingly asking, "So you think I'm handsome, huh?"

Her cheeks flushed and she stuck her tongue out at him before huffing, "So what if I like traditional clothes? I–"

Tuning out her defensive ranting, Yu glanced away in thought…before nodding to himself.

"–we all have out own tastes and–"

"Hey…"

She paused at his considerate tone and gazed at him curiously.

"Do you want to go with me?"

There was a moment of stunned silence before Yu realized that his words could be taken the wrong way and he stuttered,

"A-As friends, I mean! To a festival!"

A blush still burned her face and he tried to salvage the situation, "When we get out of here, we can all get together and have fun," his voice softened, "Your friends, mine, _everyone_…"

Minako remained silent and gray eyes raised hesitantly to see that oddly blank look on her face.

Catching his eyes though, the brunette softened her expression and smiled almost bashfully, whispering, "That _does_ sound nice…"

He returned her smile and relaxed at having narrowly escaped that harrowing situation.

"In fact," she continued pensively, "Why not do a preview here?"

He blinked in confusion as Minako grinned with growing excitement and jumped off of the the seesaw, twirling around with her arms outstretched.

"We have time and it'll be a shame to let this go to waste," she continued with a bounce to her step, "Before we destroy the radio tower, let's have a little fun!"

And he smiled at the plan.

"Alright," the gray-haired male agreed easily as he stood up and offered an arm like a gentleman, "Shall we, my lady?"

"Heehee! We shall," she chirped as she linked an arm with his and winked, "_O~nii-chan_!"

With an exaggerated waltz, they made their way towards the Inari Sushi as Minako pointed out–

"You can draw a fortune over there."

"Does it actually work?"

"Yup, yup! I was really surprised when I got Great Luck once and found several hundreds right after!"

–certain details on one of her favorite haunts–

"Y'know, one of my friends once prayed to pass his midterms…"

"Let me guess, he failed anyway."

"Haha, yeah! But he still did better than before."

–along with anecdotes before they stopped in front of the offertory box.

Red and gray eyes glanced at one another before the two Wild Cards clapped their hands together and closed their eyes.

_I wish…_

But something felt wrong and they tensed before Minako gasped–

"Here it comes…!"

–and they jumped backwards, flipping away, just as the shrine exploded from within to reveal–

_That's…!_

–the Intrepid Knight from before.

For a second, Minako paused at the sight before she shook her head to dispel whatever thoughts she had and pulled out her Evoker, pointing it at her temple and shouting,

"Siegfried!"

A bang and glass shattered as blue mist swirled around her before the famed Norse hero surged forth with his sword ready.

"I guess there's no way around this," Yu mumbled to himself, having caught her momentary hesitation before calling out,

"Rakshasa!"

He shattered the Strength-based tarot card and the dual blade-wielding Persona appeared by his master's side in an azure glow.

There a moment of tension as each side stared the other down before–

"GRAW!"

–the Shadow roared and lunged forward with its weapon pulled back and–

Crack!

–stabbed the spot where Yu had been.

Depositing his master at a safer spot, Rakshasa unsheathed his weapons and charged forward.

Sparks flew when metal clashed against metal, grinding and screeching in protest, as the two were locked in an even battle of strength.

Darkness fell over them and the demon jumped away just as Siegfried came flying down, wrapped in a cloak of red energy, and released a war cry.

His sword slammed into the Intrepid Knight, sending it flying into the radio tower and throwing up a dust storm that veiled the shrine grounds.

A shriek was choked from the Shadow before fading away and the radio tower gave an ominous groan before it all came tumbling down.

"Siegfried!" Minako called out with a hint of worry and her Persona immediately leapt into action, knocking away the falling pieces in an effort to minimize the damage.

Rakshasa quickly followed suit as the radio tower flickered with static into visibility and struck the metal infrastructure away before abruptly freezing.

"Wha–?!"

The demon shattered into sparkles of blue light and her heart was seized with terror.

"YU!"

Siegfried dived down to cover his mistress as Minako ran and skidded to her knees to catch the fallen boy as a long pipe clattered beside them.

"Yu! Hey, Yu!" Minako called out to him before her eyes widened as she felt warmth slick over her hands.

Pulling away, she paled in horror at the sight of that dark, red liquid dripping from her fingers.

"N-No…"

Her hands trembled as unbidden images of an overturned car burning, a motionless man in red and shattered blue masks flashed through her mind when a grunt suddenly forced her back into reality.

Gray eyes blinked blearily up at her.

"Yu…!"

He gave her a weak grin before his eyes fluttered close and he fell limp in her embrace.

Cold fingers quickly grasped his wrist as her heart pounded painfully before her breath hitched.

_"He's still alive."_

His pulse was slow but still steady and the coldness in her guts warmed just a tad before she pulled off the ribbon of her uniform and wrapped it around his head.

A movement from behind her caused her to turn to her Persona and she gave him a faint smile.

"Thank you, Siegfried."

He bowed his head and disappeared in a whirl of soft blue light before she pulled out her Evoker again and fired, whispering,

"Gabriel…"

The lily-bearing angel appeared silently and hovered over the two Wild Cards.

"Mediarahan…"

That gentle white glow swirled around them as warmth coursed through their bodies and the pained look on Yu's face faded with a soft sigh.

All at once, exhaustion set in and Minako would've collapsed had Gabriel not held her up and nudged her master's hand into her jacket pocket.

The brunette winced as every movement made her muscles protest but she forced herself to pull out the small can of Yawn-B-Gone that she'd found back in the dorm when she was waiting for her clothes to dry.

Downing it, she sighed in relief as energy coursed through her body before holding out her hand.

Understanding her silent command, the angel held her own above her master's and a block of ice appeared.

"Thank you, Gabriel," Minako smiled up at her Persona who smiled back and nodded before vanishing back into her soul.

Pulling off the SEES armband, she wrapped it around the frozen water and rested the makeshift icepack against Yu's head to soothe any further ache he had.

"…Idiot," she mumbled after a moment as she gazed at his now-peaceful face through teary eyes, "I should've forced you to rest up instead of agreeing to come here."

He breathed deeply but remained motionless otherwise.

_"What kind of friend am I…?"_

Long lashes fluttered close as a teardrop trailed down her face and splashed against his cheek.

_"I…really can't protect anyone…"_

Covering her lips, the brunette still couldn't stop the low whimper of despair that left her throat.

_No matter what, I am…_

Her train of thought was derailed when the ground began vibrating, softly at first before the stone walkway cracked.

_An earthquake?!_

Darkness spewed forth from the opening, twisting and turning in the air before morphing into a black cross with gold scales.

_World Balance…_

She recognized the Shadow from her trials through Tartarus and her lips trembled as something clawed from within her.

"Why…?"

It floated tauntingly in front of her and, though it had no eyes, she could feel its dark leer on the unconscious boy resting against her lap.

"Why is it that everyone around me hurts…?"

Her pained whispers went unanswered as it floated upwards and began to glow white, sending ripples of energy through the air and she clenched her fists, drawing blood.

"Enough…!"

A guttural snarl left her lips as she raised her Evoker for the fourth time since the destruction of the first radio tower and fired.

"Come!"

Glass shattered and power swirled around her as red eyes glowed unearthly.

"THANATOS!"

Coffins billowed around his form as the blade-wielding Persona hovered almost possessively over his mistress, draconic mask glinting in the moonlight and eyeless sockets glaring down the Shadow as it faltered under the pressure that suddenly permeated the air.

(Even unconscious, Yu shivered as he subconsciously sensed Death all around him.)

A pale hand raised to ghost the jagged jaw of her Persona before pointing at the World Balance as it began floating backwards and she whispered,

"Tempest Slash…"

In a blink of an eye, Thanatos ran his blade through the Shadow and blackness spilt from a series of cuts as it _jerked_–

"…kill it…"

–before the Persona grasped one of its scales and ripped it off and bent the body as it s_creeched_–

"…destroy it…"

–and silver flashed as the sword peeled away the surface of the World Balance until–

"…_Die_."

–_nothing remained_.

…And the calm returned to the decimated shrine.

Thanatos landed beside his mistress, nuzzling her entranced form and wholly unaffected by her soft murmurs.

"Nothing will hurt you now…"

Red eyes gazed sightlessly ahead.

"…pain may exist but it will not touch you…"

Her fingers smoothed out his sticky hair.

"…if anything dares to harm you…"

The corners of her lips quirked up in a hollow smile.

"…then I'll destroy it without a second thought."

And then Death vanished and she gasped as if breathing for the first time before–

"Wha…?"

–clutching at her head in pain and bowing over, whimpering,

"What was I… What was I doing…?"

A sharpness stabbed at her temple like a blade against sensitive skin and she covered her eyes, gritting her teeth and trying to recall all that had happened before–

"Yu…"

–red eyes snapped open to look down at the unconscious Wild Card.

"I…I have to get him to safety…to the dorm…"

She pushed herself up and stumbled a bit with his weight but forged on.

"…away from me."

_"…Death."_

Gray eyes snapped open as the coldness on his forehead slipped away and he blinked blearily at the cream-colored ceiling.

_What…happened…?_

Rubbing a hand over his face, Yu slowly sat up as his blurry surroundings soon shifted into focus.

_This is…the dorm…_

His hand bumped into something and he turned to see an icepack in between his pillow and the backrest of the couch that he was lying on.

_Who…?_

But then he remembered.

_Minako!_

He twisted abruptly and nearly fell off but managed to catch himself in time, wincing.

_Okay, bad idea to move so fast._

Still, he pushed himself to his feet and called out hoarsely,

"Minako-san?"

Silence answered him and he slowly made his way into the kitchen, wondering if she'd fallen asleep while making ramen or something, but saw that it was empty.

_Where is she…?_

It was then that he caught sight of a folded up paper slipped under a cute puppy-modeled paperweight.

Apprehension bubbled in his guts as the gray-haired male made his way over to the dining table and sat down, opening note to see bubbly print that read:

_I'm sorry._

_I'm sorry for being weak._

_I'm sorry for not protecting you properly._

_I'm sorry for not being normal._

_I–_

Here there was something blacked out by furious scribbling.

_–something's changed._

_I don't know what and I don't remember what happened after healing you but–_

More text was hastily crossed out.

_–I can't be near you anymore but you shouldn't worry about me…_

_I'll take care of everything else so make sure that you rest up._

_Don't come after me–_

Unlike the other two heavily scored text, Yu was (barely) able to make this one out and the content sent a splash of ice running through his veins.

_–because I fear…that I won't be me anymore._

His grip tightened as the Wild Card tried to figure out what had happened after he'd been knocked out by that fallen beam but nothing came to mind.

_Of all the times to have been unconscious…!_

Frustration was evident as he slammed a fist against the table and cursed,

"Damn it…!"

_What on earth happened to make her run away like this?_

Because he _knew_ that she wasn't a coward but everyone had their breaking points and it seemed that hers was triggered while he was out like a _useless_ light.

_I have to go after her._

Standing quickly though made him double over as his muscles screamed at him to relax.

"…ugh…"

_I guess all that sleep hadn't fully healed me…_

Still, he couldn't leave her alone and made his way back into the living room, adamant about preparing himself, when–

Wham!

–the door slammed open and–

"Sensei~!"

–a familiar bear rolled in.

* * *

**Next Scent**

* * *

"You had us worried!"

"I recognize this place…"

"She's out there all alone?!"

"May I have a word with you?"

* * *

**_Mission_**

* * *

"It doesn't matter."

* * *

**Author's Note: **Since we have reached another huge turning point in this story... I ask of you all to leave a **thoughtful** review for this chapter. **Please detail how each event affected a character.** Sorry I can't reward you for writing a longer review, but this will indicate you are truly satisfied with the story so far. Plus I want to know how guys are interpreting the story... I noticed it is quite confusing yes, but I promise an explanation in the end. On a side note, I can safely assume that Fake Me will have **13 chapters**. If you people haven't noticed yet, **each chapter is getting longer**. Soon my readers... We will reach a conclusion soon enough... Next time I hope!


	11. Mission

**Author's Note: **Hooray for another update! Sorry... my _Partner_ (who I must thank again for editing) has a paper due and the next one might not be up for up for a while. **So cheer her on in your reviews? Please? **

Anyway... As the story comes toward a conclusion... I promised a **BIG** explanation but it can't happen without your help! It know it was confusing... **so send me in your questions**! It can be done via **review or PM**! I'll only take question up to the chapter that is posted, so don't ask what is going to happen next! Once the next scent is posted, then you could ask me about that chapter!

Enjoy!

* * *

"We've found you!"

The bear cheered as he bounced to his feet and tackled his Sensei into a _bear-y _big hug.

"You had us worried!"

Pain flared through his body and Yu winced, patting his friend on the head and grunting, "Not so tight, Teddie."

"Hm?" big eyes looked up before widening upon seeing the red cloth wrapped around his head and his overall ruffled state, "S-Sensei! What happened?!"

"Hey, Teddie, what's with all the…"

He trailed off as he stepped through the door, eyes landing on the two before–

"Yu!" Yosuke shouted with wide eyes, as if in disbelief, and he took a step forward, "Is that you, Partner?!"

Said male couldn't help but smile at the sight and raised a hand in greeting, "Yo."

As if strings of tension were cut, the brunet fell onto his bottom with a sigh, "We've finally found you…"

Blue ears perked up and Teddie grinned before turning to Yu again and chirping, "Sensei! You'd never have guessed but Yosuke was so bear-y worried that he couldn't even sleep at night!"

"Wha–Hey!" Yosuke jumped to his feet and placed the laughing bear into a headlock, snapping, "Why'd you zero in on that part?!"

Gray eyes softened and Yu chuckled softly before abruptly wincing again when his body protested to the action.

"Huh?" the mahogany-haired teen blinked before abruptly releasing Teddie in surprise, yelping, "What the hell happened to you?!"

"What do you–SENPAI!" Rise shouted with wide eyes as she stepped through the doorway and ran to his side, fussing over him, "What happened?! You're all beat up!"

As if by summon, everyone else crashed through the door and Yu sweated at the sight before smiling as his heart lightened in joy and relief upon seeing so many familiar faces.

"Whoa, Senpai," Kanji looked taken aback by their leader's appearance, "Did you get jumped or something?"

"Don't worry," Yu was quirk to reassure them, pushing aside the urge to grimace when Rise poked at his sore ribs, "It's nothing serious."

"'Nothing serious,' my foot!" Chie scowled with an unmistakable look of worry as she stomped up to him and placed her fists on her hips sternly, "You look like you've gone through a war zone or something!"

_That,_ Yu thought with a faintly nervous smile, _Is exaggerating it just a bit…_

"And," Yukiko added, "'Nothing serious' doesn't require an ice pack," she picked up said item and frowned, "What _exactly_ happened, Yu-kun?"

Three pairs of sharp eyes landed on his battered form and Yu sweated under the pressure–

_It's like dealing with three Mi–_

–before he abruptly sobered, glancing away in remembrance.

_Minako…_

"…Alright, Senpai," Kanji abruptly spoke up again, "Don't worry about getting jumped ever again 'cause we have your back," he pumped a fist and grinned, "So just say the word and I'll hunt down those bastards for y–!"

"It would be best if we tend to your injuries properly, Senpai," Naoto cut in as she ducked under the suddenly motionless teen's raised arm and walked over to their leader, looking around, "Is there a first-aid kit?"

"Oh, good idea, Naoto-kun," Chie smiled at the detective before turning to and deadpanning at Kanji, "What's up with you…?"

Head bowed, the tallest boy looked oddly depressed but was easily ignored when Yukiko declared, "I found the first-aid kit," and walked out of the kitchen, "It was on the counter."

"Okay, Sensei, you should sit down," Teddie piped up from beside the gray-haired boy as he did his best to help their leader lie down on the couch, "There we go," the bear took a step back and raised a paw in excitement, "And now for Yuki-chan's magical touch~!"

"'Magical touch,' _right_," Yosuke mumbled under his breath, "Let's just hope it's nothing like her cook–WHOA!" and yelped when red flared in his vision, "It was a _joke_! A JOKE!""

Sweating from the burst of heat, the brunet backed away nervously with his hands raised defensively, "See!? I was just joking! Ahaha…haha…ha…"

"Hmph!" Yukiko turned away with her nose upturned before smiling beautifully at Yu, "Shall I then?"

Smartly deciding to just let her do as she pleased, Yu tugged the ribbon off of his head and commented lightly, "There's food in the kitchen so you can grab something to eat if you want."

"Oh! In that case, you guys can go cook," Rise chirped as she took a seat beside Yu and grabbed the roll of bandages with a kittenish smile, "We'll take care of Senpai, won't we~!"

"Uh…" Chie sweated as she looked between her best friend and the idol, somehow feeling like she shouldn't be there, before she mumbled, "Maybe I should help the boys–"

"Absolutely not!" Yosuke cut in, crossing his arms in denial, and a vein throbbed on the brunette's temple as she snapped indignantly, "I've gotten a lot better, y'know!? A-And I bet I can give you a run for your money now too!"

"Yeeeaaa–No," the Prince of Junes made a face, "Not risking it."

"Why you–!"

Chie was about to deliver an Instant Kill when–

BOOM!

–something akin to an explosion sounded in the kitchen, causing everyone to jump to their feet in apprehension.

"What was that?!" the martial artist asked as her voice pitched a few octaves higher with worry, "Are we under attack?!"

Black smoke emanated from the kitchen doorway as a dark shadow appeared amidst the obstruction and everyone tensed, readying their Personas, when–

"Oyoyoyo~ Cooking's much harder than I thought," Teddie rolled into view, black and singed, "And here I wanted to lend a paw too…"

A loud thump signaled a collective face-fault.

"TEDDIE!" Yosuke shouted, capturing the bear in a headlock, "What the heck did you do?!"

"Wah~ I didn't do anything!" the Kuma responded automatically, waving his arms around futilely, "It was the stove! The _stove_!"

Flabbergasted, the mahogany-haired boy released Teddie who took the time to smooth out his appearance before cupping his chin and nodding sagely, "It hates me bear-y much, you know. Although how_anyone_ can hate this beastly bear is–"

"AS IF!" Yosuke ground his knuckles against the other's blue fur, "And a stove is a _thing_! It doesn't even have feelings!"

Teddie gasped dramatically and clutched at his heart, "How could you, Yosuke?! You don't know that!"

As the two descended into a less than sophisticated debate on the consciousness of inanimate objects, the others glanced at one another and shook their heads with bemused smiles.

Crystalline eyes watched the scene quietly and Aigis was reminded of another time, of another place, of friends younger and without that well-hidden sadness in their eyes before she shook off that nostalgic feeling and took a closer look around.

_This place,_ her hands tightened as her heart ached a bit, _I recognize this place…_

The receptionist desk, the low living room table, the couches and seats, the television, the kitchen… She remembered it all.

_But why…?_ Aigis wondered as she slipped away from the main group and silently made her way upstairs, _Why would the TV World take on this appearance…?_

"–you big meanie!" Teddie bounced a bit, having been punted by the others when he tried re-entering the kitchen, before he sniffled, "And here I was just trying to help…"

But the bear didn't wallow in self-pity for long as he caught sight of the blonde making her way to the second floor.

"Oh Ai-chan~," he called out to her and she paused in mid-step, "Where are you going? And can I help?"

The mechanical maiden tilted her head in thought before she smiled indulgently at him, "There is something that I wish to see," she paused before shaking her head, "And, please, do not worry about me. I won't be gone for long."

Confusion was evident on his face but Aigis had already left his line of sight and Teddie swayed back and forth in hesitation, wondering what he should do, before his ears perked up when he heard,

"Whoa, check it out!"

Instantly curious, Teddie barreled back into the now-clean kitchen, asking excitedly, "What is it? What is it?"

His eyes trailed to the cabinet held open by Kanji and saw that it was filled to the brim with ramen cups of various flavors.

"It's like Ramen Land," Kanji said as he pulled out several packages, "Beef, shrimp, chicken, kimchi… Man, I bet even _we_ can't finish all of this by the end of the week!"

"I'll say," Yosuke hummed as he rubbed the back of his head, "If anything, this will probably last us, what, a month?"

His eyes trailed over to the curious Kuma before looking away and amending, "Or maybe just two weeks given Sir Eat-A-Lot over here."

"Hey!" Teddie immediately protested, "I'll have you know that I only eat a lot because I'm a healthy, growing bear!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Yosuke waved off his argument and dropped a kettle in his paws, "Here. You can help by getting the hot water going. And _don't_ blow up the stove this time!"

Pouting at being reminded of his mistake, the bear blew a raspberry at the taller boy before grinning mischievously and saluting, "Aye Aye, Captain Ressentiment~!"

"Don't call me that!" came his peevish reply as Yosuke scowled at him but Teddie simply whistled and skipped over to the sink, chirping, "Captain Ressentiment~ Captain Ressentiment~!"

Raising his arms threateningly, Yosuke imagined throttling the Kuma before sighing heavily, "Geez! Give a guy a break already, won't ya?"

But his words went over the other two's heads as they began debating which flavor was best and the mahogany-haired boy sighed again before shifting his attention over to the living room where the girls were aiding Yu in his recovery.

_Gigolo indeed,_ he couldn't help but snicker at the sight, _And he wondered why he'd been labeled as that…_

Yu was surrounded on all sides by the girls, smiling rather awkwardly in Yosuke's opinion. Not that he could blame him, given how the gray-haired boy was boxed in. Then again, one could argue that maybe it was a pretty darn good situation to be in.

Yosuke eyed the way Chie stood closely behind Yu as she bickered with Rise (who was to the right and holding Yu's arm close to her chest) about something or another while Yukiko sat to the left and was fixing the makeshift ice pack, draining the water and replacing however many ice cubes had melted, before she pressed it against his head.

_Lucky guy,_ the mahogany-haired boy couldn't help but huff with a wry smile, _He's got all the girls waiting on him…_

Brown eyes trailed over to the Detective Prince before Yosuke amended his thoughts, _Well, almost all of 'em anyway._

Naoto was investigating the lounge, taking in the details and thinking about who-knew-what, with a calculating look in her eyes.

_Come to think of it,_ he looked around in confusion, _Where did Aigis-san go…?_

Scratching his head, Yosuke briefly wondered if he should go find her before deciding otherwise, _She's pretty much overpowered so I'm sure she'll be fine…_

As if to reassure himself, the brunet nodded rather firmly before returning his attention to his friends.

_…Hm?_

His eyes landed on the red–ribbon-turned-used–bandage that the gray-haired male had yet to release before lifting to observe his partner a bit closer.

_Yu…_

Yosuke frowned.

_Don't worry, buddy._

And his fists tightened.

_We'll definitely solve this mystery._

* * *

**_Mission_**

* * *

Meanwhile, on the second floor, Aigis padded softly down the hallway and paused in front of the door at the very end.

_This room…_

An image of a certain blue-haired boy flickered through her mind's eye.

_I wonder…_

She raised a hand and placed it on the knob, jiggling it to find that it was locked. Unperturbed by this fact, Aigis crouched down and, in a mere second, easily unlocked the door. Pushing it open, the blonde wandered inside and feelings of joy, of melancholy, of bittersweet remembrance caused her breath to hitch as her heart ached to see the bedroom looking _exactly_ as depicted in her memory bank.

From the laptop on the wooden desk to the television in the corner of the room to the blue curtains fluttering against the open window and the blanket on the floor…

_Wait._

Frowning, Aigis walked across the room and trailed her eyes from the rumpled bed to the discarded blanket and finally to the open window.

_Was someone just here?_

Unbidden hope sparked from within her but she quickly stifled it with a shake of her head.

_No, it can't be…_

Picking up the blanket, the mechanical maiden folded it neatly and paused upon seeing the used bed before she shook her head again and placed it on top of the sheets.

_…Regardless, _Aigis scanned the room once more,_ There are signs of habitation here,_ she rested a hand on the bed but couldn't discern any particular warmth from it, _Could it have been that "Minako Arisato" whom Narukami-san mentioned…?_

She was unsure but that possibility seemed less painful to think about…

Back in the lounge, the Investigation Team was huddled around the low table on which were nine ramen cups of varying flavors.

Steam sifted though the tiny cracks where the chopsticks resting on top of the cover couldn't reach.

Pushing himself up, Yu tried his best to not wince as his sore muscles creaked in protest.

"Yu-senpai," Rise chirped with adoring eyes, "You can always lean on me if you want~!"

Yu smiled gratefully at her and the others simply sighed in amusement before blue ears perked up upon hearing soft steps.

"Oh, Ai-chan!" Teddie cheered as he saw the blonde walk downstairs, "I was _just_ about to go get you," he bounced up to her with a cup ramen in paw, "Here you go," he presented it to her with bright eyes, "I did my _bear-y_ best to make it!"

Crystalline eyes blinked in surprise before Aigis smiled and took it.

"Thank you. You didn't have to," she said and the Kuma swooned happily, "But _of course_ I did–"

"For I do not require sustenance," the mechanical maiden cut in and bear looked terribly shocked for a moment before he began rolling around in depression, "Teddie was just being an annoying bear, wasn't he…?"

Sweating, Aigis cleared her throat and reached out to pat his head, murmuring, "But I am glad that you're kind enough to think of me."

And Teddie immediately bounced back with sparkling eyes.

"AI-CHAN~!"

"Alright, back off, Teddie," Yosuke stepped in with a roll of his eyes and grabbed the bear's ear before he could tackle the robot into a hug, "Now calm down and eat before I take your share."

"Eh!? Ah, wait, no!" Teddie almost cried when he saw the brunet make a grab for his cup and quickly dived to get to it first, "It's _mine_!"

Luckily for everyone else, the bear tumbled over the table _after_ the rest of the bowls had been claimed.

"Safe~!" the Kuma cheered as he rubbed his cheek against the warm styrofoam, purring, "My _precious_~!"

Sweating at the movie reference, Kanji quickly shook his head before turning to his own meal.

"So, uh, Senpai," he raised the cup ramen and asked, "It's not poisoned or anything, right?"

Both Chie and Yosuke choked on their noodles, causing Yukiko to smack both of their backs to help unclog their windpipes, before the duo shouted, "What do you mean by _poisoned_?!"

"H-Huh? Uh, well," the bleached-hair boy scratched his head and stuttered, "I mean, we found it _here_, y'know…?"

Their faces turned blue with fear but quickly cleared when Yu laughed.

"Don't worry," the gray-haired male reassured them, "They're safe to eat. Mi–," his voice faltered for a split-second, "–nako-san and I tested it before."

Blue ears perked up at the familiar name and Teddie looked around rapidly in search of said brunette before turning back to Yu and asking rather innocently, "Sensei, where _is_ Mina-chan…?"

There was a beat of silence as the Wild Card's expression blanked out before he spoke softly,

"About that…"

Immediately, the atmosphere grew a bit tense as gray eyes glanced away.

The others were about to assume the worst, that they'd failed to save her, when Yu reached into his pocket and pulled out the note that he'd found prior to their arrival.

"Here," he unfolded it and laid it out on the table for everyone to see, "Take a look…"

Eyes trailed over the words, the repeated apologies, the scratched-out texts, the _fear_ that seemed to exude from the otherwise bubbly writing and the air grew increasingly strained as a heavy silence fell over them.

"'Don't come after me,'" Naoto repeated softly, "'Because I fear that I won't be me anymore…'"

The words sent chills running down their spines.

"What exactly does she mean by that?" the detective asked, lifting her gaze to look at their leader, "Could it be that she'd encountered her Shadow?"

Pursing his lips, Yu shook his head before pausing in thoughtful hesitation and sighing, "That's the thing. _I don't know_," there was a hint of frustration in his voice, "I was knocked unconscious during that time."

"Well, uh, maybe she just wants to be alone for a while?" Kanji asked before jerking back and holding his hands up defensively when _looks_ were shot at him, "W-What? It could be that she's just overwhelmed and needs time to cool off!"

There was a collective sigh of exasperation.

"Even if that _were_ true," Rise spoke up with a frown and waved a finger around, "We're in the _TV World_ right now. Leaving her alone is like _asking_ for her to get _ambushed_."

_And killed,_ was the unspoken thought.

Biting her lower lip in anxiety, Chie asked rather meekly, "So, um, what exactly happened, Yu-kun?"

Said male didn't say anything for a moment, looking down in thought at the ribbon that he held, before he finally spoke, "Everything just turned into one giant _mess_…"

Silently attentive, his friends noticed how Yu's grip tightened around the used cloth.

"…I don't know if they're like you, Teddie, but," gray eyes flickered, "Minako-san befriended a few Shadows and they," he hesitated for a second, "They died protecting her…"

Shock was almost palpable and Yu bit the inside of his cheek, feeling a sting of guilt for revealing something so private but every bit of information was necessary to solve this mystery.

"I think," the gray-haired boy continued, "That she still feels responsible for it," and he recalled those haunted eyes, "And when I'd been knocked out…"

His voice trailed off but everyone got the gist of it.

"…She must've been so scared," Yukiko whispered as she clutched her hands together, "She must've thought that everything was her fault…"

"Without time to recover," Naoto murmured thoughtfully, "Her guilt most likely compounded until she finally succumbed to its pressure."

"…I think I know how she feels," Kanji spoke with a frown as his fists clenched, "When Pa died, I…" frustration appeared on his face, "Just thinking of anything happening to Ma too makes me scared shitless!"

"…Now that I think about it," Chie murmured as she fiddled with her jacket, "I'd be scared too," her eyes watered a bit, "I can't even imagine if I were to lose Mom or Dad or any of you guys…!"

"So she left to protect you," Rise mumbled almost incoherently, "She must like you a lot…" and then she perked up and held Yu's hand encouragingly, "Don't worry, Senpai! We'll find her and we'll definitely save her too!"

Without meaning to, Yu relaxed a bit and smiled at her, agreeing quietly, "Right."

"As for where she is," Naoto spoke, watching as Yu held the ribbon out to Teddie, "Her note stated that she would 'take care of everything else' so we can deduce that she'd gone after the last radio tower," the bear sniffed the scent out to refresh his memory, "But whether or not she's still there…"

"Scent, get!" the Kuma exclaimed with joy as he handed the ribbon back to his Sensei before he smelled the air, "Hm… It's kind of faint though…"

"What do you mean?" Yosuke asked with a confused frown, "Is it disappearing or something?"

Teddie closed his eyes in order to better distinguish between the various scents around him and toddled around the living room, muttering, "Mina-chan's perfume is strongest on the third floor, near the end of the hallway, and in the kitchen and here in the living room but…"

His voice trailed off and the bear almost bumped into the door but he stopped himself in time to open it and stepped outside, sniffing with all of his might, "Out here's somehow harder to tell… Like she's everywhere…"

"…It could be that this is her reality," Naoto spoke after a moment of thought, "Back then, when we'd been thrown into the TV, our…realities also contained our scent, did it not?"

"Oh! That's right!" Teddie chirped as his ears perked up, "I'd forgotten all about that, haha! No wonder it's bear-y difficult to sniff Mina-chan out!"

Yosuke face-palmed and sighed, "Only Teddie…"

And, just like that, the group relaxed a smidgen, laughing softly when the bear protested to the jab.

Needless to say, another round of banter took place.

"…Narukami-san," Aigis spoke up in a soft tone from beside said male, "I'd been meaning to ask this but," she paused, hesitating for a second before continuing, "Have you…Have you you met anyone else here? In this world?"

An unbidden image of the mysterious boy popped into mind.

Closing his eyes briefly, Yu looked over at the blonde and answered slowly, "There was someone else," gray eyes met with blue and saw a flicker of emotions that were indistinguishable, "He goes by the name of Makoto Yuki…"

He trailed off when he saw her freeze with wide eyes.

"Aigis-san…?"

The mechanical swallowed thickly and blinked rapidly, as if pushing back tears, before she cleared her throat and asked, "Is he around?"

Yu shook his head, "He's not the type to stick around," and her eyes dulled a shade, "So far, I've only seen him a total of two times."

"…I see," she looked vaguely disappointed before shaking her head and explaining, "I did some reconnaissance upstairs and there was indication of someone inhabiting the room on the far end of the second floor. My first guess had been this Minako-san but…"

"Teddie had said that Minako-san's scent was strongest on the far end of the _third_ floor," Yu murmured with a frown, "And I haven't actually picked out a room yet so…"

His voice trailed off as he was suddenly struck with the idea that _Makoto_ may have very well been the one to _use_ that room.

_Was that how he snuck up on me the first time?_ he wondered, _But then why did he knock like a stranger the second time?_

"–do you think, Partner?"

Gray eyes blinked in mild surprise and Yu sweated upon seeing everyone's attention suddenly on him before he straightened up and asked the most eloquent question of all time,

"Huh?"

"And you weren't listening," Yosuke sighed but didn't seem all too annoyed if the smile on his lips was any indication.

The Wild Card smiled apologetically but was waved off as the Prince of Junes knocked his knuckles against the bear's head, repeating, "Teddie's got the general direction down so we can go whenever but…" he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "Well, we fought some Shadows on the way here so I'm kind of beat."

"Huh? Really?" Kanji looked confused, "But I'm fine–Oof!" he winced and rubbed at the spot where he'd been elbowed before scowling, "What the hell was that–Uh…"

Piercing glares quickly shut the tallest male up and a few not-so-discreet glances at their weakened leader made Kanji realize _why_.

"Right, uh," the bleached-hair boy coughed and rubbed at his stomach, "I'm not feeling too good either now that I think about it…"

Amused, irritated and exasperated in equal parts, Yu simply shook his head and stepped forward, stating firmly, "I'm fine so let's go."

Yosuke was about to protest but stern gray eyes stopped him.

"Right now, Minako-san's all alone," Yu spoke in a tone that shot down all protests, "We need to save her before anything irreversible happens."

The Investigation Team hesitated as everyone glanced at one another but, before they could decide, Aigis took control of the situation and–

"Wha–?!"

–lifted the gray-haired male onto her shoulder with ease.

"A-Ai-chan?!" Teddie squeaked, looking between the mechanical maiden and Yu indecisively, "A-And Sensei…!"

"Although your resolve is admirable," Aigis spoke as she proceeded to walk back into the dorm, "In your current state, you will turn out to be a liability."

Gray eyes narrowed and Yu was about to argue but crystalline eyes glanced at him sharply and all protests died in his throat.

"…Scary," Yosuke whispered as Kanji nodded, dumbfounded, "Who'd have thought she could be so…"

His friends disappeared from sight and sound as they made their way upstairs.

Grimacing at his less than admirable position, Yu cleared his throat before asking, "So where are you taking me, Aigis-san?"

Without pausing in her step, the mechanical maiden responded blandly, "You will rest in bed, in a room on the second floor, and you will stay there until you've recovered enough to fight properly. Otherwise…"

He blanched upon imagining the kinds of punishment she could and _would_ dish out and smartly decided to stay quiet despite his embarrassment.

Two minutes later, the gray-haired boy found himself just as Aigis had proclaimed and sighed heavily.

_I get why she's doing this but…_ he closed his eyes and thumped his head against the wall, _Please stay safe…_

A knock pulled him out of his thoughts and he called for his visitor to enter.

"Senpai," Naoto greeted as she stepped inside and closed the door, "There's something I wish to speak with you about."

Yu straightened up and asked, "Is it about Minako-san?"

She nodded.

"After you mentioned her in your letter to us, I decided to do a little research," Naoto explained with a small frown, "Unfortunately, I couldn't find much," and there was a flicker of frustration in her eyes, "While there were indeed more than one person with the same name, they were either young children of primary school age or older women in their thirties."

Yu blinked at that but didn't say anything, feeling that there was more.

"However, I did come across something that I'd initially ignored until I overheard your conversation with Aigis-san," she looked a bit embarrassed upon admitting to her eavesdropping but forged on, "You brought up the name, Makoto Yuki…"

He couldn't help but narrow his eyes, wondering if he was finally about to get some answers.

"From what I found," Naoto spoke slowly, "There is a relation between Makoto Yuki and one Minako Arisato."

"…How so?" he asked when she paused.

Dark blue eyes flickered and Naoto answered quietly,

"Minako Arisato…is the name of Makoto Yuki's _mother_."

And Yu froze, trying to relate the image of the Minako he knew to the faceless one of an older woman but failing as his head throbbed.

"I wish I could tell you more," the detective spoke with a hint of regret, "But there wasn't much information to note aside from the fact that she and her husband died in a car accident 13 years ago," her eyes shifted to look outside, "It occurred on the Moonlight Bridge connecting Tatsumi Port Island to Iwatodai City and a young Makoto Yuki was left parentless, making him an orphan."

Silence fell heavily over them as the Wild Card digested this new information and tried to understand _what_ was going on.

"…In other words," he finally spoke after some time ruminating, "The Minako-san that I know may not be…_real_," and his heart hurt at the label, "And she may be made in his mother's image…?"

"Which would mean," Naoto met his gaze head-on, "That this area may be Makoto Yuki's reality," she paused and frowned, "However, the level of detail is astounding and I am left befuddled as to why Minako Arisato would appear in such a form."

There was another pause before she added, "Of course, there could another connection that we have yet to unravel."

A sigh left his lips as Yu leaned back and ran his fingers through his hair in a rare show of agitation.

"…I'm sorry," she suddenly apologized and the Wild Card blinked in surprise, "Because I was looking into a Minako Arisato, I did not think to research Makoto Yuki and so I have little else to tell you…"

Gray eyes softened at the awkward-looking detective and Yu shook his head, stating firmly, "You _are_ helpful, Naoto. Thank you."

Looking startled, Naoto pulled down her cap to hide her blush, stuttering, "A-Anyway, judging from what you'd said before, it would appear that the two have yet to meet, correct?"

Yu nodded and clarified, "Yuki-san's definitely aware of Minako-san's existence but she doesn't seem to know about him…"

"Then we should find out why," the detective recomposed herself, "If he's avoiding her, then there must be a reason."

The Wild Card hummed in response and the two sat in contemplative silence until Naoto broke it hesitantly.

"Senpai…?"

Yu looked over at her to see traces of uncharacteristic uncertainty in her eyes.

She paused, hesitating yet again, before asking, "If the Minako Arisato whom you've come to know truly never existed… What should we do?"

For a moment, he didn't say anything before he reached out and briefly patted the shorter girl on her head, causing her to stiffen in surprise.

"Whether or not she exists outside of this place," Yu spoke softly but firmly, "It doesn't matter," red eyes haunted his mind, "She needs someone right now," and his hands clenched into determined fists, "And we'll all be there for her."

Her lips quirked up into a small smile.

"I understand, Senpai," Naoto straightened up and bowed before making her way to the door, "Sleep well then."

"Good night, Naoto," he returned with a smile of his own, "Tell everyone else to rest up too."

The detective responded positively before the door clicked shut.

Silence reigned once more as Yu closed his eyes tiredly.

_No wonder she couldn't remember…_

Because she may not have even existed before Makoto entered the TV.

_But her other memories…_

He wondered if they were somehow a copy of the blue-haired boy's.

_Minako-san…_

Dreamland whispered to him as he began to doze off even as he silently vowed to help her.

_Stay safe until then._

And so he succumbed to exhaustion…

.

.

.

Brushing her fingers against the rumpled bed, Aigis whispered softly,

"Are you really here? Makoto-san…?"

* * *

**Next Scent**

* * *

"So this is the last one…"

"Minako!"

"I told you to stay away!"

"Wait! We don't want to fight you!"

* * *

**_Guilty Crown_**

* * *

"Just _die_..."


	12. Guilty Crown

**Author's Note: **Hooray for Gin Nanashi for editing this chapter as well! There is not much to say other than if had questions for the story then leave it in your review or PM to me. Enjoy!

* * *

The next morning (that cannot quite be called "morning" in the TV world), Yu Narukami woke up in a much better state than he was in previously.

_Alright,_ he thought as he stretched gingerly and didn't feel any pain wracking through his body, _Time to get a move on…_

Walking over to the desk, he picked up the jacket that had been thrown carelessly over the chair as gray eyes trailed over to the window, widening in surprise.

_The barrier, it's…!_

Frowning, Yu squinted and turned his head a bit for another angle but there wasn't even a hint of the reflective glass-like dome that had surrounded the city before, merely darks clouds that covered the murky green sky and hid the silver moon.

_Has the last tower already been destroyed?_

His frown deepened as his guts clenched with anxiety.

_Or is something else happening?_

He didn't like how ominous everything looked outside.

_Minako-san…_

With a shake of his head, the gray-haired male calmed himself and walked downstairs before perking up at the savory scent of spice wafting through the air as his ears picked up the sound of familiar female voices chattering in the kitchen.

"Wow, Aigis-san," Yukiko spoke softly but with respect in her voice, "Even though you don't need to eat, you still know how to cook."

There was the sound of something boiling.

"Thank you, Yukiko-san," the mechanical maiden responded with a hint of a smile in her voice, "However, I only cook in my spare time so I fear that I still have much to learn."

"Regardless," Naoto surprisingly piped up this time, "I believe that your efforts are beyond that of a beginner," she chuckled softly, "Even my first time was met with much difficulty but… We do what we can."

"That's right!" Rise chirped with her usual enthusiasm before asking cheerfully, "So do you think Yu-senpai's gonna like it?"

"I'm sure he will!" Chie affirmed energetically before pausing in thought and adding in a much quieter voice, "I hope…"

The gray-haired male couldn't help but smile, feeling the usually desolate place come to life, before he descended the last step and sweated at the sight of Yosuke, Teddie and Kanji huddled just off of the kitchen doorway, conversing in low tones.

"Hey Kanji," the mahogany-haired boy mumbled with a pale face, "You haven't tasted Mystery Food X before, right?"

Obviously confused by his upperclassman, the tallest male furrowed his brows and wondered, "No… Why?"

If possible, Yosuke seemed to melt into a puddle of depression, crying, "Oh god–What if we're getting another serving of it?! I don't think my stomach could take even a _drop_ of it…!"

A chill shot down Yu's spine in remembrance as he averted his eyes, feeling a bit sick himself…

"Oh, but, Yosuke, the cake that they made turned out to be _bear_-y good!" Teddie defended the ladies before adding, "And besides–! I'm sure that it'll turn out _bear_-rific with Ai-chan's and Nao-chan's help!"

"Maybe," the brunet grumped without much solace, "But who knows _what_ they're using to cook with…!"

"Uh… Food?" Kanji answered, crossing his arms in thought, "I mean, Senpai's already confirmed that it's safe to eat the things here…"

"Well, yeah, but–!" Yosuke wasn't relenting, "We're talking about the _girls_ and especially _Yukiko _and _Chie_! They added coffee milk and sea cucumbers and who-knew-_what_-else to _curry_! Curry! The easiest meal to make!" he shuddered in not-so-exaggeration, "And then there's _Rise_ who added _foie gras_ to _omelette_ and made it hotter than _magma_!"

They sweated in stereo as Kanji mumbled, "Sure enough… One strike," in memory of that single casualty.

Depression fell over them.

_Oh the horrors…_

Hiding a smirk, Yu coughed and–

"Holy sh–!"

–they jumped–

"Gah–!"

–scrambling over one another before–

"Sensei!"

–relaxing when they saw his amused expression.

"Geez, Partner!" Yosuke sighed exaggeratedly, "You trying to give us heart attacks or something?"

Said male chuckled and shook his head as they all entered the lounge before speaking, "Don't worry so much, Yosuke. I'm sure the girls have improved in comparison to before."

The brunet made a face before rubbing the back of his neck and sighing, "Well, I guess that true… Chie's omelette did turn out a lot better than her curry… And the same goes for Yukiko too…"

"And their cake!" Teddie chirped, "You can't forget about the cake!"

"Heh, yeah, that's true," Kanji grinned with a faint blush, "Didn't, uh, Naoto help out with that…?"

He immediately regretted bringing that up when mischievous eyes turned on him.

"Of _course_ you'd focus on that," Yosuke snickered, nudging the bleached-hair boy in the sides, as Teddie mussed his hair, laughing, "Kanji and Nao-chan sitting in a tree~!"

"T-That's not–I was just–Senpai–!"

"Saa~ Young love~…"

"K-I-S-S–"

"S-SHUT UP, TEDDIE!"

"I-N–WHOA~!"

CRASH!

"Ugh… They're real cheerful this morning, aren't they?" Chie sighed, deadpanning when she heard the shrieks coming from the living room, "Geez, and we haven't even had breakfast yet…!"

"It is good to be energetic," Aigis spoke, not taking her eyes off of the stove, "Would it not worry you if they were quiet?"

"H-Huh?!" the brunet had jerked as her cheeks were dusted pink before she rubbed at her blush and mumbled, "Well, yeah, I guess so…" she quickly shook her head, "S-Still–! They could've helped out if they have so much time on their hands!"

"Except we kicked them out of the kitchen~," Rise sang and giggled when Chie's blush darkened, "Remember now?"

She pouted, looking very much like a cute chipmunk, and the others laughed in good nature.

"Oh! Can someone please set the table?" Aigis requested, flipping the pancakes on one pan and the bacon on another, "Breakfast will be ready soon."

"Got it~!" Rise immediately volunteered as she opened the cabinet, revealing neat rows of plates and utensils, "Wow. This place really is different from the others…"

"Indeed," Naoto murmured, "Food, water, electricity, bowls, chopsticks, condiments," she casted a cursory eye around, "If I didn't know any better, then I would've believed this to be our world."

"But, why?" Yukiko asked as she helped the idol straighten everything out, "Why has the TV World become so life-like? It wasn't this way for us…"

"Yeah," Chie agreed, holding out a plate so that Aigis could slip the food onto it, "I mean, did the TV World create all of this or was it all brought in?"

There was a beat of silence before Naoto chuckled, "Chie-senpai has quite an interesting idea there."

"H-Huh? Really?" the brunet looked confused as she handed the plate over to Yukiko, "Uh, well, that is– I mean– Thanks…?"

"The result of the mind," the detective was beginning to slip into her own thoughts, "Or the result of another…?"

Sensing the mood change into one of rumination and seeing the activity die down, Rise decided that she was no longer needed in the kitchen and peeked outside for something else to do. She sweated at the sight of Yosuke and Teddie being chased by an agitated Kanji up the stairs before brightening up when she saw Yu quietly flipping through a notebook in the lounge.

"Senpai~," the idol greeted as she bounced over to him with a bright smile, "Good morning~! How do you feel today?"

He returned her greeting easily and the cover flipped close before he spoke, "Much better. Thank you, Rise, for helping me," she blushed a bit before he added, "And the others, of course."

"You're always welcome," the redhead chirped, feeling pleased, before she added quite sternly, "But don't push yourself too hard, okay, Senpai? If you were to fall…"

She couldn't imagine it but it still made her heart thump painfully.

"Don't worry. I won't let it get to that point," Yu smiled gently before his eyes trailed to outside, "We still need to save her after all…"

Without meaning to, Rise puffed out her cheeks in an indignant pout and grumbled, "Yu-senpai really seems to like Minako-san, huh…"

Gray eyes blinked in surprise and the male tilted his head in thought before nodding and answering, "She reminds me of Nanako."

Losing her huffiness, the idol perked up and echoed, "Nanako-chan? Why would she remind you of her? Minako-san's our age, isn't she…?"

* * *

**_Guilty Crown_**

* * *

"She is but…"

Yu dropped his gaze and thought on that for a moment before answering slowly,

"Our interactions remind me of the time I first met Nanako and how our bond strengthened over time."

Given how she hadn't met Nanako at the same time when Yu did and how she had yet to meet Minako, it was no wonder that Rise was confused.

Seeing this, Yu elaborated, "I first met Nanako when I arrived in Inaba and she'd been rather shy, hiding behind Ojii-san," he chuckled, "She was still mature and kind as ever though."

His smile faded a bit as he continued, "Minako-san was also like that in the beginning… Distant, but her heart's in the right place," his somberness lifted a bit, "She could've left me at the mercy of the Shadows when I was unconscious, both times, but she didn't…even though her Shadow friends refused to be around her at that time."

Rise couldn't help but feel her heart tug in sympathy and asked, "Are those Shadows the same ones that…?"

Gray eyes flickered away. "Yeah…"

There was a moment of silence before the redhead murmured, "She must really like you…"

Yu blinked in surprise as Rise leaned back with a sigh.

"Aa~ Senpai can be pretty oblivious, huh?" she teased with a smile, "But that's okay," a giggle left her lips, "It's part of your charm after all~!"

He smiled back in bemusement and Rise laughed again before gradually calming down and humming, "I haven't met Minako-san yet so I can't say if I'll like her or not but…" a blush painted her cheeks, "She's already in my good books for helping you out," a melancholic smile touched her lips, "And…the way she wanted to keep you safe by leaving…I think I might understand that…just a bit."

She stuck out her tongue in embarrassment before perking up and grabbing his hands, chirping,

"So don't worry, Senpai! We'll definitely find her!"

Eyes softening, Yu smiled gently and nodded, giving her grip a squeeze.

"Thank you, Rise."

Her blush darkened a bit and she quickly jumped to her feet, pumping a fist and exclaiming, "Kyaa~ I'm on fire now!"

"Shall I get the extinguisher then?"

A yelp left her lips and she whirled around in surprise.

"Aigis-san!"

Said blonde smiled at the redhead with a teasing sparkle in her eyes before gesturing to the kitchen, stating, "Breakfast is ready."

"Yay~!" Rise cheered, pushing aside the embarrassment she'd felt and dragging Yu with her, "Time to eat~!"

Entering the kitchen-dining room, the two were greeted joyfully by the others before everyone took their spots and awed over the Western meal of eggs, bacon, hash browns, sausage and pancakes with a side of hearty stew.

Surprisingly, everything looked normal…

_A lie. It's gotta be a lie, _Yosuke thought as he eyed the food suspiciously, _There's no way the girls made something so good looking._

He poked the egg warily, half-expecting it to cluck in response, before a movement from the corner of his eyes caught his attention–

"Itadakimasu."

–and his eyes widened comically as he shouted–

"Wait, Yu–!"

–and reached out a hand to stop his partner–

"Don't!"

–but Yu had already taken a bite.

"NOOOOOOOOO—"

"It's good."

"—OOO–Wait, what?"

Yosuke blinked owlishly before yelping when he was smacked upside the head, "What was that for?!"

Chie gave him the look that he deserved and huffed, "We worked hard on it so quit ragging on it before you even take a bite!" a pause as she suddenly eyed him predatorily, "In fact…"

That gleam bespoke of many terrible things–

"Here! Try some!"

–and the mahogany-haired boy paled, trying to scramble away but failed as–

"GURK!"

–the brunette grabbed his nose and shoved a spoonful of stew into his mouth.

"MMF–!?"

"Tasty, isn't it~?"

His face turned blue but the others dutifully ignored the spectacle in favor of digging in.

"Wai~ It's bear-rifically deeelicious!" Teddie exclaimed, almost sparkling, "You girls did one _fine_ job~!"

"Ah, thank you but the credit should go to Aigis-san," Yukiko responded demurely, "She's quite skilled in the kitchen!"

"Eh? But I thought you don't need to eat?" Kanji wondered, pausing from shoveling food down his throat, "Do you cook for that lady or something?"

Accurately deducing whom he was referring to, the blonde laughed softly, "No, Mitsuru-san has the maids for those things."

"M-Maids?!" Yosuke squeaked with a blush, though whether it was from the topic or because he just stopped choking was unknown, "For real?!"

Needless to say, he was smacked by Chie once more.

Aigis looked endlessly amused with a hint of nostalgia to her smile before explaining, "Cooking is simply a hobby I have picked up from Fuuka-san when she asked for my help one day…"

They chattered on about commonplace topics as breakfast passed in an oddly leisurely manner and began to wind down before Aigis turned to the bear and asked,

"Teddie-san, you have located Minako-san's location, correct?"

"Correct-amundo!" the Kuma saluted and elaborated, "Mina-chan's scent is bear-y faint but I'm sure that it's coming from that green tower!"

"I took the liberty to scan that area too," Rise piped up, "But I can't seem to sense Minako-san," a worried frown appeared on her lips, "And there's something else that's bugging me…" she met each of their gazes, "What I _can_ sense… It's definitely a Shadow but there's another," her brows furrowed, "I'm not too sure what it is…but it's like a Shadow and yet _not_ like it."

Confusion appeared on everyone's faces but they didn't push her upon seeing how difficult it was for Rise to explain the feeling.

Instead, Naoto mused aloud, "So there are two presences, yet neither of them are human."

The redhead nodded and she hesitated for a moment before adding meekly, "If I… If I had to say, it kind of reminds me of Teddie…"

Eyes widened in surprise as they gazed at the bear who looked rather flustered.

"B-But I don't have a twin!" Teddie denied, "I'll have you know that I'm a one-of-a-kind bear!"

"Well, it could be a doppelganger," Yukiko pointed out.

"Or maybe," Kanji added, pounding a fist against his palm, "It could be that bastard we fought before…!"

A certain tension fell over them as they wondered if the Malevolent Entity would finally reveal itself here at long last...

"…So what are waiting for?" Yosuke said at long last as he clenched a fist, "Let's get a move on and find out!"

Yu wanted to agree but, having calmed down after resting, he instead pointed out, "Let's go over the facts first."

"Right," Rise immediately agreed, "So what do we know about the situation?"

"Well," Yukiko started slowly after a second of thought, "We know that Minako-san's been through a lot…"

That was an understatement, everyone had gathered however vaguely.

"…so we might have to be careful with what we say."

"Plus," Yosuke added while cupping his chin thoughtfully, "There was that weird barrier and towers that Yu brought up before."

"Actually," said male spoke up, "I just checked, the barrier's gone now."

"Wha–Really?" the mahogany-haired boy sputtered before asking, "Wait, so does that mean you can leave now…?"

They turned to Teddie who tapped his feet three times before the vintage TVs appeared in a poof of smoke.

Experimentally, Yu touched the screen before frowning when he was once again met with resistance.

"Guess not, huh," Chie mumbled with a frown and reached out to poke the screen, "I wonder why–H-Huh?!"

She too was met with glass.

There was a beat of silence before–

"Let me try!"

–Yosuke mimicked them and was followed by the others but, each and every time, they met with a barrier.

"Even Teddie can't get through," the bear seemed to droop dispiritedly and rolled around, sniffling, "Teddie's Exit TVs aren't Exit TVs anymore…"

The girls petted him sympathetically.

"So what does this all mean?" Kanji asked, knocking his knuckles against the glass, "We all got pulled in so, what? We can't get out until we find whoever did it?"

"Possibly," Naoto spoke with narrowed eyes, "Our enemy has trapped us once before and we were able to leave upon its retreat," she trailed her gaze to Yu, "From its last words, Senpai seems to be its target and yet our enemy has not attacked directly this entire time," a frown quirked her lips, "However, the enemy may or may not have done so to Minako-san before she met Senpai for the first time."

"Minako-san doesn't remember much," Yu reminded them, "It's possible that she was attacked before and had her memory wiped. After all, that entity had been able to control Labrys…"

And they didn't know the full extent of its powers.

"…There isn't much else that we can accomplish like this," the gray-haired boy spoke after a moment and stood up, "Let's go."

"Roger that, Partner!" Yosuke agreed with a grin as the others assented in their own ways before they finally ventured out of the dorm in search of the missing brunette.

As the Investigation Team neared the replication of Tartarus, Yu noted that the last radio tower had indeed been destroyed if the visible remains were any indication.

The path of televisions glowed that murky yellow hue as the screen flickered with static and the group of Persona-users stopped at the base of the eerie green tower.

_Tartarus…_ Crystalline eyes narrowed imperceptibly. _To think that I would venture into the Tower of Demise once more…even if it is not the real one._ Aigis averted her eyes and tightened her fists. _If there truly are two presences here, then could one of them be…_him?

She snapped out of her thoughts when Yu asked, "Do you know anything about this tower, Aigis?"

The mechanical maiden nodded a bit stiffly and answered, "Yes… You could say it is a Shadow's nest."

Gray eyes flickered in remembrance. _Minako-san said that as well…_

"Rise," Yu turned to said girl, "Can you scan the area please?"

"On it!" she replied and clasped her hands over her chest, "Come, Himiko!"

A gentle blue light swirled around her before the satellite-like Persona took form and slid the visor over the redhead's eyes.

"…The only thing I can sense are those two presences from before," Rise told them, "It seems that they're at the top of this tower."

"There aren't any other Shadows around?" Yosuke questioned and was baffled when she nodded, "What the heck's going on…?"

"Somehow," Chie mumbled, "I get the feeling that things are gonna be even harder than before…"

"Same here," Yukiko agreed softly.

"So what do you want to do, Senpai?" Rise asked as she dismissed Himiko with a word of thanks.

"We'll go up together," Yu said after a moment of thought, "If there's no other Shadows, then there's likely to be a reason for that. We're strongest when we're together so I'm sure we'll defeat whatever comes."

Smiles were abound as morale boosted.

"Let's go…!"

The massive doors creaked a bit as they opened and the group cautiously stepped inside to see a TV-floored lobby that contained a grand staircase spiraling up to a threshold. A large, intricately-designed clock hung above it with the hour and minute hand pointing to the number 12.

"Whoa…" Kanji whistled. "Take away the TVs and this place would be pretty epic."

"Epic or not, please just tell me there's an elevator," Yosuke whined, "Seriously, what's with all these stairs?! First to Yu's apartment and then–"

Ignoring the mahogany-haired boy's rant, Yukiko pointed out, "This place seems oddly peaceful."

"Yeah," Chie agreed and scratched the back of her head, "I mean, usually Shadows and stuff would attack us the moment we step foot into a dungeon…"

"Sensei!" Teddie suddenly piped up, attracting everyone's attention.

"What is it, Teddie?" Yu asked as he gazed curiously at the bear crouching to the side of the stairs.

Toddling away so that the others could see, Teddie pointed. "Look at what I found!"

Taking the initiative, Aigis walked over and surprise flickered across her face alongside apprehension before she picked up the object in question and showed it to the others.

It was a common kitchen knife stained by some black liquid.

"It's faint but I can still detect warmth," Aigis noted, "The owner must have been here recently."

"That's not all," Naoto spoke as she gestured to the similarly stained area.

There was a whirl indicating a working hard drive. "…My scanners indicate that it is Shadow-blood," Aigis informed them as her gaze slid upwards, "The trail leads to upstairs."

The group glanced at one another in apprehension.

_Minako-san…_ Yu frowned. _Were you fighting Shadows with that knife?_

Something about it made his stomach churn uneasily.

But he shook off the feeling and took lead. "Let's keep moving."

And so the Investigation Team ascended the grand staircase, following the trail. Their footsteps clicked uncannily against the floor as they traversed each successive and empty floor. Gradually, the splatter of blood began to decrease until they were mere droplets, spaced farther and farther apart.

Finally, they reached a massive door not unlike the one at the entrance and pushed it open.

A person stood before them with her back turned, clothes splattered in black, particularly on her left sleeve.

"Minako-san…!"

Hearing him, she turned around slowly and the group tensed as they were abruptly met with a blank expression–

_…!_

–and unnatural gold eyes.

"You are…" Her voice was soft and so, so _hollow_ sounding. "Yu Naru…ka…mi…?"

The listlessness that exuded from her sent chills running up his spine as gray eyes gazed at the brunette with evident pain.

_Minako-san, what happened to you…?_

He stepped forward. "Minako-san, what–"

His words were abruptly cut off when gold flickered to red and Minako gasped, clutching her head.

"Minako-san!"

Yu was about to run towards her but–

"STAY AWAY!"

–her words stopped him in his tracks.

Breathing heavily, the brunette dug her fingers into her scalp and gritted out, "I told you…to stay away…to not follow me!"

Another gasp left her lips as she curled in on herself, body jerking from pain, before she abruptly stilled.

"W-What's happening?!" Chie shouted in alarm as wisps of darkness swirled around her, appearing to be absorbed.

A pale hand dropped to her hoister as Minako tilted her head back, showing off blank gold eyes once more, before she pulled out her Evoker–

"HOLY SH–A GUN!" Yosuke cried out, "She's gonna–"

"Orpheus…!"

–crystalline eyes widened in clear shock as a bang resounded followed by shattering glass and a burst of blue energy that swelled and receded to reveal a gold-armored musician with flowing hair.

_That's…!_ Aigis paused as confusion set in. _That's not his…?_

A slim finger pointed at the group as a hollow smile played on her lips.

"Agidyne…"

Fingers danced across the lyre, playing a beautifully destructive bolero, and an inferno bursted forth from in front of them, throwing them backwards and slamming them into the floor and walls painfully.

"M-Minako-san," Yu grunted and pushed himself up, ignoring his singed appearance, "Please stop…!"

Again, gold flickered to red and the brunette held her head, taking a step backwards and giving the team time to recover.

"Mina-chan!" Teddie called out to her, " Sensei and I… We… We don't want to fight you!"

She gritted her teeth and raised a trembling hand at them.

BOOM!

Another explosion rang out but they were ready this time and dodged swiftly.

"Please calm down!" Aigis tried her hand. "This can be solved without fighting!"

Another flicker before gold dominated red and–

BOOM!

–a third burst of flames scattered them.

"It doesn't have to be like this," Yukiko shouted to the brunette before Chie added, "We're not your enemies! We're friends!"

"Fri…ends…?"

Minako pressed a hand against her forehead, shadowing her expression.

"Did we get to her…?!" Yosuke asked with a hint of hope.

"Uh… I don't think so, Senpai," Kanji pointed out warily.

A smile, cold and vacant and vaguely _mad_, played on her lips.

"Bonds…" she whispered almost coyly, "…are _meaningless_."

Their eyes widened in shock.

"Fake… Just like me, haha…"

Her Evoker spun in her grasp as she pointed it to her temple again.

"THANATOS!"

A crash echoed ominously as darkness tore out of Orpheus and manifested as the ultimate Persona of Death as that not-smile broadened and she whispered,

"Just _die_…"

Gray eyes widened as Thanatos suddenly appeared in front of him.

"YU–!"

"Izanagi…!"

Glass shattered and blade clashed against blade as Fool and Death tangled in a bout of strength before lightening surged and Thanatos leapt away to avoid the Ziodyne, landing unharmed before his mistress.

"Senpai!" Rise's voice echoed in his mind. "Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine," Yu answered firmly, keeping his eyes on the pair in front of him, "Give me an analysis!"

"Roger that!" she responded before falling silent in concentration.

_I didn't want it to be like this,_ the gray-haired male thought and tightened his fists, _Minako-san, I…_

A roar forced him to pay attention as Thanatos let loose a dark violet fog.

_Virus Breath…!?_

Yu quickly covered his nose and mouth but his precautions were unneeded as–

"GARUDYNE!"

–a fierce wind blew the poisonous mist to nothingness.

"Yosuke," Yu sighed with a relieved smile upon seeing Jiraiya, "Thank you."

"Hehe~," the mahogany-haired boy thumbed his nose and winked, "What are friends for?"

Bursts of cold and heat caught their attention and they turned to see Tomoe Gozen and Konohana Sakuya spam Bufula and Agidyne as Chie gave a thumbs up and Yukiko smiled encouragingly.

But their chumminess was interrupted as–

"Tempest Slash."

–Thanatos' blade glinted a dangerous silver before they were barraged by a storm of red energy.

Dust and debris were kicked up and obscured vision for a moment before dissipating to reveal each Persona hovering protectively over their masters, glowing a deep blue and looking less hurt than expected.

"Marakukaja," Aigis intoned from behind Pallas Athena, "Success."

"Whew! That was awesome timing, Ai-chan!" Teddie cheered before grinning up at Kamui, "And now for a Mediarahan~!"

Energy surged through their bodies.

"Heh, my turn!" Kanji pumped a fist as Take-Mikazuchi mimicked him. "Let's go! Maziodyne!"

Bolts of lightening surged down on Death but he swerved through the air, dodging in an amazingly graceful manner, before–

"I finally got it!"

–Rise's voice made them perk up.

"It resists Physical, reflects Dark and is weak to Light!"

"Understood," Naoto spoke up, "Sukuna-Hikona…!"

The bird-like Persona zipped through the air, flickering around Thanatos too fast for the eye to see and glowing gold, before tags appeared.

"Hamaon!"

Energy crackled through the air and the sound of shattering glass echoed as a dust cloud was thrown up once more.

Silence reigned over the area before–

"What the–?!"

–pressure pressed down on them as the air _hummed_ with power.

Yosuke cursed incoherently and shouted, "Did it survive?!"

Their obstruction cleared to reveal–

"Orpheus…!" Aigis gasped, _But this technique is…!_

The musician, glowing white, raised her lyre.

"M-Megidolaon…!?"

_Shit._ Yu froze. _It's too late to run…!_

The light was blinding and their hearts pounded painfully in their chests–filled with fear, horror, grim realization–but all they could do was cover their eyes and brace themselves as their skin seemed to _burn_from the raw _power_.

_Is this the end…?_

.

.

.

_…?_

A thump caused gray eyes to snap open just in time to see Orpheus shatter into fragments of light as Minako fall to her knees, covering her mouth and trembling furiously.

"U-Uh… What just happened?" Chie asked with a wavering voice, still jittery from their dangerously close call.

"It would appear," Naoto spoke slowly and with a hint of surprise, "That Minako-san disabled her own technique."

"Minako-san…"

Yu took a step closer but stopped when the brunette shook her head.

"Don't," Minako croaked, sounding deeply pained, "You…all of you…need to…stay away…!"

"I can't do that," the gray-haired boy responded firmly and took another step forward.

"STOP!" she shouted before coughing harshly into a stained sleeve, "S-Stop… Please…"

The weakness in her voice made Yu flinch.

"I've already taken down the last radio tower," Minako whispered after calming herself and dropping her arm to show darkened lips, "Just…forget about me and leave–"

"No," he cut her off bluntly and she looked up at him in shock, stuttering, "W-Why…?"

Gray eyes softened and he took several more steps towards her.

"We promised to leave together, didn't we?" Yu smiled at her, deciding to not tell her that they _couldn't_ leave anyway.

The look of sorrow and regret and _yearning_ on her face made his heart ache.

"I… I can't," Minako mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself and shivering even more than before, "I… I…!"

"You can," he insisted and held out a hand, "Come on, let's–"

**"Hahaha…"**

Laughter, dark and distorted but still familiar, sent chills running up his spine as his battle senses _screamed _and he quickly jumped away as a surge of dark energy uprooted the spot where he'd been before his eyes widened at the sight.

**"You just keep pushing and pushing, don't you…?"**

Gray met with eerie gold and…

"Minako-san, you–"

**"Don't tell me you're still pestering her… Hm… You don't have very good manners, do you?"**

"W-What the…?" Yosuke stuttered, taking a step back, "What is–She just…!"

**"She already said so, didn't she? She ****_can't_**** leave here… Not that she should anyway."**

"The hell's up with this?!" Kanji shouted with a hint of nervousness, "It makes no sense!"

A giggle, soft and chilling, left her lips as she stood up and tilted her face up, showing off her eyes…

"Is she a Shadow or isn't she?!"

…one of gold, the other crimson.

The brunette jerked and a hand raised to slap over that yellow orb.

"I…" Minako spoke painfully, breathing heavily, "I-I'm–!"

**"A Shadow, of course,"** she chuckled and smacked the hand away, closing her red eye, **"I thought you'd figure it out already. She and I… We're not exactly ****_normal_**** now, are we?"**

Stunned, the Investigation Team could only stare at the brunette with wide eyes before Aigis whispered the question on all of their minds.

"Who exactly are you…?"

And that smile, cold and vacant and vaguely _mad_, appeared once more.

**"Why, don't you recognize me, Aigis?"**

There was a teasing tone in her mockingly playful voice.

**"I am, of course…"**

She whispered silkily, lips moving tauntingly.

**"None other than…"**

And crystalline eyes widened in horror.

"**_Makoto Yuki_****."**

* * *

**Next Scent**

* * *

"You are a monster."

"Is that true?"

"How many of us truly reach self-actualization?"

"We'll save her!"

* * *

**_Soul Phrase_**

* * *

"Stop…! STOP IT!"


	13. Soul Phrase

**Author's Note**: Welcome back! And NO this is not the final chapter! I didn't count the prologue as a chapter so there is ONE more chapter after this! Please thank _Gin Nanashi_ for her AMAZING work on this chapter! Seriously give my partner some love! This is one of the HARDEST chapters to write so thanks for your patience and we went through 3 versions! This is version #3. Anyway this is the fight scene and the best song to read it to is "Soul Phrase Voice Mix" which can be found on Youtube. The instrumental is off the chain so pay attention to that more than the voices trust me! Anyways, this is your last chance to submit me your question about anything in the story because I promised a HUGE explanation in the end... Enjoy~!

* * *

"W-What…?"

Aigis took a step backwards, shock visible on her face and desperation hidden in her voice.

"How can you be–?!" she stumbled, "But Makoto-san is–! And you are–!"

"What the hell's going on here?!" Kanji growled with obvious confusion, "Isn't she supposed to be Minako Ari-something or another?"

"…Ai-chan?" Teddie asked with worry, looking between her and the other, "Mina-chan?"

**"Still calling us that, I see,"** she hummed, tilting her head to look at the bear, **"Well, can't blame you since that was how we introduced ourselves to you,"** she placed a hand on her hip, **"But that is wrong. I, that is, ****_we_**** are Makoto Yuki."**

"You are lying!" Aigis swiftly protested, shaking her head in disbelief, "You cannot be… You cannot be Makoto-san…!"

"Aigis-san…" Yukiko whispered as the others shifted nervously, seeing the normally immovable blonde on the verge of a breakdown.

**"'Cannot be'…?"**

A dark chuckle left her lips as she ran her fingers through auburn locks, releasing them from their confines.

**"Poor, sweet Aigis… You still have much to learn of your ****_precious_**** 'Makoto-san'."**

Acid seemed to drip from her words.

"Then why not tell us," Yu finally spoke up with sharp eyes, "Tell us who you are and what exactly is going on here."

Her single gold eye fixed itself on him.

**"…Commanding, aren't you?"** There was a hint of irritation along with respect in her voice. **"Very well then…"**

A smile played on her lips that sent apprehension throughout the group.

**"Let me tell you the story of a couple waiting for their first children to be born back in the year of '92…"**

They stiffened but listened closely.

**"There wasn't anything special about them per se,"** she spoke almost lazily,** "They were average people with average careers and average expectations,"** and waved a hand as if conjuring an image,** "The man wanted a son who could follow in his footsteps and become a businessman,"** there was amusement in her voice,** "The woman wanted a daughter with whom she could share feminine ideals with,"** along with clear disgust,** "And both were to get what they wanted when the mother-to-be was blessed with fraternal twins."**

A wistful sigh left her lips.

**"…But life's not full of rainbows and sunshine,"** she murmured with an echo of sorrow,** "The boy was as healthy as can be but the girl…" **her red eye fluttered open in a daze,** "She was a****_stillborn_****."**

"A…stillborn…?" Chie mumbled, taking a step backwards, and Rise gasped, hands trembling over her heart, "But that means…!"

**"Yes,"** the brunette almost spat, **"****_Dead_**** before her life even started…!"**

Her golden eye was fierce and full of anger, contrasting sharply with the dull crimson one.

**"The cause is unknown,"** she spoke lowly, **"She should've been as perfect as ****_him_**** and yet she wasn't because she ****_died_****."**

A snarl, full of anger and bitterness with a hint of grief, left her lips. **"And she wasn't even given a ****_name_****…"**

"She…" Naoto whispered, clenching and unclenching her fists, "She is _you_, correct?"

That singular gold eye closed briefly, leaving the red one to gaze eerily, _emptily_, at them.

A chill ran down their spines.

"But," Aigis spoke slowly and hesitated, "If you truly are Makoto-san's twin sister," her crystalline eyes sought out hers, "How can you be here…?"

_How are you alive when you should be dead?_

The sharp smile that painted her lips spoke of more to come.

**"…You see my appearance?" **The brunette asked in answer and spun around in emphasis. **"Do you know ****_why_**** I do not look like him? Why I look like ****_this_****?"**

They wondered where she was going with this, what she was aiming for, because twins and especially _fraternal_ twins do not look identical.

But, for Yu and Aigis who knew of Makoto, they had to admit that she did look _extraordinarily different_ from him.

**"Hair like chocolate with a burst of cherries…"** She seemed to be quoting someone as she raised a hand, picking off the pins one by one.** "Eyes like rubies glittering in the sun…"** Her fingers ghosted down her face, trailing over that single crimson iris. **"Skin like freshly fallen snow…"** She dropped her hand and touched her left wrist, where her sleeve was most stained, laughing coldly, **"How disgustingly poetic…"**

Her head shook slowly, as if in disbelief, and she muttered, perhaps more to herself than to them, **"And all that they told him was that we were pale and had brown fluff. Where on earth did he think up of such ****_crap_****?"**

But then she continued almost airily,

**"In all honesty, we were ****_created_****."**

"Created…?" Teddie echoed with furrowed brows, "Like… Like how Shadows come from repressed human emotions…?"

An almost gentle smile was directed at the bear.

**"Correct,"** she said, lifting a hand to her chest, **"We are the result of Makoto Yuki's overactive imagination, the side of him that longed for the twin sister spoken of so lovingly by our parents because he was so****_ lonely_****…"**

Looking away, her eyes glazed over as she whispered, **"Even as a child, he was extraordinarily quiet, preferring to listen than to speak and showing maturity far beyond his age…"**

"Children can be surprisingly cruel," Naoto murmured, remembering her own childhood, "Those different from the norm tend to be ostracized without good reason."

**"…Can you imagine?"** she asked as her dichromatic eyes landed on them, **"Growing up with no friends and always hearing of a would-be life had we lived?"**

"So Makoto-san, he," Aigis faltered for a second, "He created you in order to fill that empti–"

"NO!"

They jumped as Minako suddenly clutched at her gold eye, shaking her head furiously.

"I'm not–! I-I wasn't–!" Her voice wobbled with clashing emotions. "I am… I-I'm…!"

"Minako-san…!" Yu gasped, taking a step forward but flinching when a harsh laugh left her lips.

**"You can't be serious,"** she whispered with incredulity before hissing, **"You just ****_saw_**** them–****_our memories_****–and yet you still deny the ****_truth_****…!?"**

"It's not true! It's _not_!" cried the brunette, voice full of shaky denial, "It's not… It can't be… I-I'm not imaginary… I… I'm _me_…!"

**"And you, ****_we_****, are ****_fake_****,"** she snarled furiously, digging her nails into the skin around her red eye, **"How many times do I have to say it?! We're nothing more than a ****_tool_**** to alleviate his childhood desolation–"**

"SHUT UP!"

Minako curled into herself.

"Shut up…" She trembled, tears trickling from her red eye. "I… I'm _real_… I'm Minako… I-I'm _Minako Arisato_–"

**"That name is ****_not_**** ours,"** she snapped in clear irritation, **"It belonged to ****_his mother_****! We simply took it when–"**

"It _is_ my name!" the brunette protested loudly, "I'm not some– Some _fabrication_! I'm a person! I'm _human_…!"

A sense of deja vu fell over the other Persona-users.

**"…Fool,"** she whispered with a hint of hysteria, **"You poor, poor ****_fool_****…!"**

An ugly sneer appeared on her face.

**"You say you're a 'person'. You say you're 'human'. But…"**

She gripped her left wrist–

**"…that is false! It's all ****_wrong_****! And the proof…"**

–and roughly tore the cloth off–

**"…is this!"**

–spilling beads of liquified darkness.

"W-What the–," Yosuke yelped, backing away, "Yu, isn't that–?!"

_Shadow-blood…_

Yu clenched his hands, eyes wide and heart pounding as he realized.

_The trail, the stains, that knife from before…_

A pained expression appeared on his face.

_Minako, you…!_

"I-I…" Minako stared at her torn wrist and stumbled backwards, "This isn't–"

**"You ****_knew_****,"** she continued relentlessly, **"How could you not after that episode? After you resonated so ****_perfectly_**** with the Shadow of Death?"**

"T-Thanatos is… He is…" the brunette whimpered, wrapping her arms around herself and hunching over in an almost fetal position, "He's my Persona. He's not–"

**"Have you forgotten?!"** she nearly screamed, increasingly agitated by the girl's refusal to _see_, **"Shadows and Personas are one and the ****_same_****,"** crimson grew more and more pained, **"Thanatos, ****_Ryoji_****, was both the thirteenth Shadow who made up Death ****_and_**** the Ultimate Persona of the Death arcana!"**

Her voice quieted but lost none of its cold rational, **"The reason why we were able to summon him even after our energy had been sapped,"** as pale hands dropped limply to her sides.

**"You understand now, don't you, ****_me_****?"**

Minako fell to her knees, staring blankly at the floor, as her blood continued to drip quietly.

"I… I am a…"

**"…Shadow,"** came her whisper, almost sweet in sound, **"****_We_**** are a Shadow. We are ****_his_**** Shadow, our powers shall never falter so long as he ****_exists_**** here. We are a product of his imagination and this world combined. We,"** she smiled,** "Are ****_nothing_****–"**

"Enough."

_…!_

**"That voice…"** growled the brunette as she looked up, eyes full of malicious intent and lost hope, as the sound of footsteps tapping against the glass floor caused all attention to snap towards the staircase before their eyes widened in surprise, **"****_You_****…"**

"Me," he said blandly, stopping before them with a grim expression.

"M-Makoto-san…?" Aigis whispered, "Is that… Is that really you…?!"

Her voice trembled with shock, with grief, with sheer _hope_.

Silver eyes trailed over to watery crystalline orbs and softened before returning sharply to wicked gold and pale red.

**"Oh dear, what a scary look you have there,"** she sounded rather sardonic even as she clutched a hand over her chest, **"Ah~ You're hurting us right here, 'Onii-chan'."**

"Don't call me that," Makoto snapped with narrowed eyes, "And leave…!"

Briefly, a pained expression appeared as she whispered, "Onii-chan…?"

And the blue-haired boy flinched, as if physically struck, before the moment passed and gold-eyed brunette giggled, sending chills running up their spines.

**"How cruel…"** she sighed,** "Telling us to leave as if we're some pest…"** another sly smile appeared on her lips,** "But how can we when we're ****_you_****?"**

"Enough with the lies." His expression darkened. "Now _leave_!" _Sorry…_

Gold flashed dangerously before she closed her eyes and smiled brightly, chirping, **"Oh? But how can we leave when we're you, mm?"**

A scowl became prominent on his lips."I've already said, enough with the lies, you _fake_." _I'm so sorry…_

Energy crackled around the brunette as her grin broadened. **"And just ****_how_**** are we fake?"**

"Because," he started in a voice barely above a whisper, "You…" _Forgive me…_

("W-Wait," Chie squeaked from the side, "Don't!")

"YOU'RE NOT ME!"

Like light during a sunset, red faded away as gold dominated and a cruel laugh left her lips, echoing through the Dark Hour before abruptly cutting off with a hiss.

**"Perfect."**

Darkness exploded forth.

* * *

**_Soul Phrase_**

* * *

It flung them away and consumed her tiny form.

"**I am a Shadow…"**

Her voice distorted, echoing coldly and lifelessly in their ears.

**"…the true self."**

And the darkness morphed and stretched and contorted erratically before a massive figure emerged before them, noticeably masculine in build and wearing a featureless mask that reflected their image like a mirror.

"Oh shit," Yosuke cursed, pushing himself up, "This is _not_ good."

As if on cue, a clawed hand raised, casting a shadow under the full moon, and–

"MOVE!"

–crashed into the spot they'd barely moved away from, throwing up a veil of dust.

Taking advantage of the smokescreen, the Investigation Team quickly summoned their Personas, who hovered protectively over their Egos.

"Rise," Yu called out as the redhead clasped her hands over her chest, answering, "Already on it."

Knowing that she would need time, the gray-haired male turned to Yosuke just as the debris began to settle.

The mahogany-haired boy grinned and gave a thumbs-up before facing the Shadow, "Let's go! Garudyne!"

Jiraiya lifted his hands and a squall of razor-sharp wind blasted forth just as–

"Konohana Sakuya!"

–Yukiko commanded her Persona to perform an Agidyne, whipping up a wicked combination that threatened to consume their target in a twister of fire.

But the Shadow executed a well-timed Mabufudyne, causing stalagmites of ice to rip through the ground and melt into water, dousing the flames.

"Kanji!" Yu shouted to his taller though younger friend who grinned viciously. "I'll send you to hell!"

Two bolts of lightening _surged_ from Izanagi and Take-Mikazuchi, striking the metallic mask and electrocuting their target as it screeched in protest before–

"Take this!"

–a giant fist, shining with gold light, slammed straight into it, cutting off the Shadow's cry and hurling up another dust storm.

"Direct hit!" Chie cheered as Tomoe Gozen landed with a flourish of her double-bladed polearm.

But it wasn't over yet.

"KYAA!"

"RISE!"

Ice was creeping up her legs to her hips and the redhead couldn't move away, frozen and terrified, until–

"Kintoki-Douji!"

–a surge of warmth ran through her body and the cold shattered as a familiar bear stood in front of her.

"Are you okay, Rise-chan?!" Teddie asked with a fierce look on his otherwise adorable face.

"Yes… Thank you, Teddie!" She was still shaken but wiped away the tears that clung to her eyes and forged on as Himiko appeared over her again. "Be careful, everyone! It's immune to light and dark!"

"Understood," Naoto confirmed with narrowed eyes as Sukuna-Hikona glowed red before she pointed at the Shadow, shouting, "Megidola!"

White light swirled around the floating Persona, gathering into his hands and pulsing with power, before the Mind Charged Almighty attack was unleashed onto the waiting Shadow.

"Alright!" Yosuke cheered, "We got–"

But his enthusiasm was cut short when the chain of coffins that the Shadow wore on its arm rattled ominously and glowed an array of translucent colors.

"K-Karma…?!" Rise stuttered, seeing the unique technique's name appear on the screen of her visor before gasping, "Guys–!"

The deadly attack rebounded, heading straight for them–

"RUN!"

–and the area exploded into a field of white.

.

.

.

"Safe."

That one whisper caused all eyes to snap open and stare at the two standing in front of them with evident shock.

"Is everyone okay?" Crystalline eyes glanced back at them with worry before a smile played on her lips. "It would appear that no significant damage has been attained."

"Ai-chan!" Teddie cheered happily, pushing himself up, before he stammered, "A-And, um…"

"Makoto Yuki," Yu murmured with furrowed brows as he saw the semitransparent rainbow that surrounded everyone fade from sight, "This is…?"

"Infinity," he answered shortly as Vishnu and Ananta disappeared before dropping his hand from Aigis' shoulder and slouching, "Temporary invincibility, in short."

"That's, uh, handy," Kanji whistled, rubbing the back of his neck, as Yukiko bowed, expressing all of their gratitude, "Thank you for saving us…!"

**"Tch,"** came a disgruntled click of the tongue from their opponent, **"As expected of the one who attained the Universe,"** gold flashed momentarily in the mirror's cracked reflection, **"Even though your power was sealed away, you still…"**

Its masked head shook ambivalently before the Shadow chuckled,

**"Interesting… How very interesting…!"**

Clawed hands raised, followed by the chain of coffins that billowed around its massive form before–

**"Show me!"**

–each one opened to reveal speakers and–

_…!_

–an indescribable sound pitched forth, blasting at an unbearable level, as–

Thud!

–the Persona-users slammed to their knees, covering their ears in hopes of blocking out the sound but it was a futile attempt.

_My head…!_

Yu gritted his teeth as his breathing shortened from the pressure.

_It feels like it's splitting…!_

Black spots were creeping up in his vision.

_Shit…! I–_

But he could think no more as he succumbed to pain…

_…hm…?_

…before awakening to the familiar sound of a classy piano.

_This is…_

Gray eyes fluttered open to see blue.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room once again, Yu Narukami."

Straightening up, Yu looked around to see the usual limousine-like setting before greeting, "Margaret."

"My Master is currently away," she answered his silent question and pinned her golden gaze on his form, "It seems that you are in quite a conundrum."

"You could say that," he answered and narrowed his eyes, "Margaret, about Minako-san and Yuki-san…"

She frowned as her gaze trailed down at the Persona Compendium, brushing a finger against the elegant typography.

"…Tell me," she spoke in a thoughtful manner, "Do you know what self-actualization is?"

Although wondering where she was going with this, Yu still answered, "It's the fulfillment of one's talents and potentialities."

"Correct." Margaret nodded. "However, how does one attain it…?" She flipped the book open. "Allow me to tell you a story…"

A familiar tarot card depicting a man with a knapsack, followed by a dog, appeared. "Once upon a time, the Fool was empty… He was nothing, undefined and yet boundless…"

Another arcana appeared. "One night, he encounters the Magician who spurred him to take initiative lest something disastrous befell him…"

A third one came to being. "After which, he meets the Priestess, whose actions led to contemplation and certain inner knowledge…"

The fourth card depicted, "The Empress represents motherhood and nurtures life while the Emperor, an opposing card," the fifth revealed, "Teaches leadership and decision-making skills," they took their places beside the others, "They led to peace and control but were tentative at best."

Two more were added. "Following along were the Hierophant, knowledge, and Lovers, choice, and it is here that the Fool's growth becomes more and more apparent…"

Another pair floated to join the group. "The Chariot, conquest and a momentary victory, was accompanied by Justice, objectivity and rationality, and added another side to the Fool's Journey."

"The Hermit," the tenth appeared, "Being one of solitude, beckons the Fool towards introspection and he delves into himself to search for the Answer…"

"He finds fate and opportunity in Fortune," the next two arcana floated from the book, "And wins with Strength as a result of passion and self-control but…"

"The Hanged Man shows the Fool his inability to take action," it spun almost mockingly, "As he is fraught with deception and betrayal…"

The cards floated in front of Yu as he remained silent, accurately guessing that the story was far from over.

Margaret smiled vaguely and turned back to the Persona Compendium as a certain skull revealed itself.

"Death," she spoke in that unfaltering tone of hers, "Is spiritual, an end to the old and the beginning to anew, as the Fool's Journey continues under a different light…"

The fifteenth card revealed itself. "With light, there is darkness and Temperance balances both by opening the Fool's eyes to the world's beauty and–" Gold eyes flashed as two more appeared. "–ugliness for the Devil tempts the Fool until his values collapse upon themselves at the Tower…"

"But," the attendant continued with three successive cards, "He is not wholly lost as he finds hope in the Star," her smile was sharp, "Alas, such bliss made him susceptible to the illusions of the Moon and so he is grasped with fear, wondering which path is the correct one," she softened, "But the Fool, with all of his experiences behind him, manages to forge on and was rewarded with a future brightened by the Sun…"

The twenty-first tarot appeared–

"Now, the Fool has reached the end of his Journey and awaits Judgement."

–before the final arcana revealed itself–

"At long last, he is aware of the World…"

–as the other cards danced around it before all disappeared in a glow of blue light and the book closed gently.

"…and thus the Fool reaches self-actualization."

Gold eyes closed briefly as a faint smile played on Margaret's lips. "This is aptly known as the Fool's Journey…a 'fairy tale' that my younger sister had told me some time ago."

"…It's their story, isn't it?" Yu asked at last with sharp eyes, "Although it can be interpreted and applied to all of us as well."

She hummed and answered vaguely, "All walk the path to find one's true self but I wonder…"

A certain headiness fell over him and Yu grimaced–

"How many of us truly reach self-actualization?"

–before his senses came rushing back to him and–

"YU!"

–he grunted, feeling his temples throb painfully from the sound and almost falling once more but he fought against the pressure even as his arms trembled.

_The Fool's Journey tells of the road to realization,_ Yu repeated to himself, _When I first met Minako-san…_

She was innocent. She didn't know what she'd gotten herself into. She was free to do what she wanted.

_She chose to help me._

She took initiative. She could've passed him by, could've let the Shadows feast upon him, but didn't. She made the first move.

_We banded together to figure out what was going on._

Her memories were fragmented. There were so many questions that she couldn't answer. Still, she contemplated and came to realize that those missing pieces were key to their situation.

_We guided one another, switching off our roles whenever needed, and gained knowledge before we made our decision._

No matter the awkwardness, they forged on and built up their relationship with tidbits and nostalgia. They had to because they could only rely on one another at the time. And then they understood more and more about their mutual imprisonment.

_We took a step forward by staying calm, looking within ourselves, finding opportunities to explore even when it felt like we were falling apart…_

Theories had been formed, uncertainties encountered and overcome, and they continued on even when death plagued them…

_We hoped to leave, were deluded by our fears, and that incident…_

Something had happened then. Minako supposedly changed. So she came to the last radio tower, fought whatever needed to be fought, and judged herself to be a danger to those she cared for.

_She found out what she was, what she wasn't, and left to protect me…even if it meant destroying herself in the end._

His fists tightened and power swelled within him as amber eyes glinted.

_But I won't let her die._

"Izanagi-no-Okami…!"

There was a flash of light and a crackling explosion before the screeching sound sputtered to a welcomed stop.

"Let's go, everyone!" Yu shouted, voice full of determination as his newly transformed Persona stood strongly over him, "We can't surrender now!"

"Who said anything about giving up?" Laughter full of relief and resolve rang out as Yosuke stood. "We're right behind ya, Partner!"

"That's right!" Chie cheered, bouncing on the balls of her feet, "Slipping up here's just not cool!"

"Slip…? Cool…?" Yukiko snorted before falling into a giggling fit. "S-Since when did y-you make ice-puns, C-Chie? Ahaha~!"

"Seems like someone's been hanging around Teddie too much~!" Rise sang, making the martial artist blush, as said Kuma puffed out his chest and purred, "Who _wouldn't_ want to with this silkily soft fur and–"

A bolt of lightening struck down.

"Less yappin' and more smackin'," Kanji grunted as Take-Mikazuchi shook off the Ziodyne before the duo took a step back when violet runes appeared around them, "Fu–!"

His curse was cut off when two smaller bodies slammed into both the boy and his Persona, successfully knocking them out of the Mudoon's range just as it was executed and missed.

"Perhaps your advice should simply be 'pay attention'," Naoto scolded with a hint of embarrassment as she got up and dusted herself off.

Kanji gawked for a moment before his face exploded with heat. "U-Uh…"

Luckily for him, the others couldn't poke fun at him as Aigis suddenly shouted,

"DUCK!"

They hit the floor, dodging the Akasha Arts that struck the Shadow, before–

"AIGIS…!"

–jumping to their feet in alarm when Pallas Athena was flung away by a Garudyne.

"I am fine," the mechanical maiden answered them, held up by Makoto, "We will not be taken down so easily!"

Briefly, his lips twitched upwards before he turned to the Shadow grimly.

_It's weakening,_ was his thought and he breathed shakily, _Just hang in there a while long–!_

Silver eyes snapped open as darkness brushed against him before–

"Makoto-san!"

–the blue-haired boy was suddenly hoisted up by a clawed hand.

"No…!" shouted Aigis, fear evident in her voice as she stayed her Persona from attacking, "Release him–!"

**"Hahaha…"** Distorted laughter halted her words. **"I ****_see_****…"** Its grip tightened ever so slightly. **"Your powers are indeed ****_gone_****…"** And Makoto twitched. **"But you were able to bolster ****_hers_****, if only momentarily…"** A gasp of pain left his lips. **"However, you're useless ****_now_****, aren't you?"**

The blue-haired boy didn't answer, wincing when the pressure increased.

"You bastard!" Kanji growled, pulling back a fist as his Persona mimicked him–

"Wait!" Rise protested, "Don't–!"

–before a Primal Force crashed into the Shadow–

**"Fool…"**

–who chuckled as rainbow-tinted coffins danced before it and–

"Shit…!"

–reflected the attack back on them, throwing the boy and Take-Mikazuchi backwards.

"Kanji-kun!" Yukiko gasped with horror as Chie shouted, "Hey! You okay?!"

"J-Just fine," he coughed, waving away the dust, before sighing in relief when Kintoki-Douji casted Diarahan on him, "Thanks, Teddie…"

"Mou~ Don't attack so recklessly!" Rise scolded though her teary eyes took away some of the heat, "I swear—"

"What's the update?" Yu quickly interjected before the redhead could launch into a rant.

She sniffled a bit as her visor appeared once more before answering, "From what I've gathered, Karma activates only when it's not attacking and requires a short duration to recharge so we have a window of opportunity but…"

Another laugh left the Shadow's lips as Makoto, hair tousled and uniform ripped, gritted his teeth when a jolt ran through him.

"Damn it!" Yosuke cursed and Kanji bowed his head, apologizing, "S-Sorry 'bout that…"

Their hands were tied so long as it held the blue-haired boy hostage.

Yu clenched his hands and lifted his gaze to meet with pained but unyielding silver eyes before speaking,

"Everyone, stand down."

"But–!" Chie's immediate protest faltered when she noticed his odd expression. "Yu-kun…?"

The smile that appeared on his lips confused not only his friends but also the Shadow.

**"Have you finally gone mad?"** it asked with a hint of disbelief and amusement, **"Death lies before you and yet–"**

"How long will you continue this charade?"

Its masked head turned to the blue-haired boy who, despite grimacing from his injuries, smirked rather impertinently at his captor.

**"Are you delirious as well?"** the Shadow inquired, bringing him a bit closer, **"Or have you simply forgotten that your very existence can be erased in a single clutch?"**

Makoto huffed a laugh.

"Neither."

He reached out an arm and brushed his fingers against the mask, tracing the cracks as fragments fell and murmuring, "You are a fraud."

Its grip tightened but was ignored as silver eyes softened when watery red peered through the darkness.

"But _you_ aren't."

Her eye widened and the clawed hand loosened just enough to stop grating on his wounds.

"You know," Makoto continued so that all could hear, "I did a lot of thinking for the past, what, three years? There wasn't much else to do, after all…"

A smile, wry and somewhat bitter, graced his lips.

"Aside from facing Erebus' attacks anyway."

And crystalline eyes widened.

"It can't be," Aigis whispered, horror beginning to lace her voice, "Makoto-san, you… Were you _aware_ the entire time…?!"

Silver eyes flashed and she flinched, catching a glimpse of simmering heat and frigid ice.

"T-Then," she stuttered, "When we were there… The Abyss of Time… You _knew_…?"

"…Yeah."

His voice was bland, almost aloof.

"I saw you guys leave me behind."

The mechanical maiden stumbled and the Shadow barked a short laugh.

**"What a turn of events,"** hissed that distorted voice, **"That had been undeniably ****_cruel_****,"** it was ladened with sadism, **"You were their friend, their ****_savior_****, and yet they abandoned you to your 'duty' in the end!"**

"We didn't," Aigis objected but the hesitation in her voice bespoke of her mounting uncertainty, "I– We would never abandon you–"

**"But you ****_did_****,"** came the Shadow's harsh retort, **"Tell me, true or false, after finding out that your 'precious' leader gave up his ****_life_**** to become the Great Seal,"** there was clear disgust,** "To prevent the Fall, you, ****_all of you_****, simply went about your merry way with nothing more than an 'It's still sad but, if I think of him as protecting us forever, it helps a lot',"** a snort of derision,**"And to think that ****_she_**** was the one prattling most about how she 'missed' him."**

Taken out of context, the mechanical maiden couldn't help but flinch at how crass Yukari's words sounded.

"W-Wait a moment!" Chie suddenly interrupted, holding her head in confusion, "So, let me get this straight, um, this guy, Yuki-san, you're _dead_?!"

He smiled that crooked smile again. "Surprised?"

"No shit, Sherlock!" Kanji sputtered just as Teddie squeaked, "A _zombie_!?"

"D-Don't be ridiculous, Teddie!" Rise shivered, hiding behind her stoic senpai, "Zombies are completely fictional!"

"Not to mention," Yukiko added in warily, "The dead cannot come back to life, right?"

"Damn straight they can't!" Yosuke snarled, digging his nails into his palms, "If they did… If they did, then…!"

Knowing whom his best friend was thinking about, Yu swiftly took control of the conversation. "I think it's time to explain some things, Aigis-san."

The mechanical maiden twitched upon being called out.

"I agree," Naoto backed him up with sharp eyes, "And I believe that this all goes back to my inquiry before, on Apathy Syndrome and its sudden cure back in 2010, isn't that correct?"

Crystalline eyes closed as she bowed her head in a moment of silence before taking a stuttering breath and answering,

"Yes…"

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"The truth is…"

Her face portrayed nothing but pain.

"Three years ago, on the last day of January…"

She shuddered, as if just speaking was taking a great toll on her.

"The world was supposed to _end_."

Stunned, the Investigation Team just stared at her before–

"W-What…?"

–Rise stuttered, raising a trembling hand in front of her lips,

"B-But, that can't be–!"

Her eyes fluttered open and the sheer emotions within them told them of the truth as Aigis almost whimpered in remembrance of the time she was unable to do _anything_.

"January 31st, 2010," she continued almost hypnotically, "Nyx descended to the peak of Tartarus, destined to bring about the Fall," her fists tightened, "She came about when we were misled…when we unknowingly brought together her pieces in Ikutsuki-san's ploy…"

From there on, the mechanical maiden explained how the Kirijo Group experimented on Shadows in the past, how Mitsuru's grandfather and several scientists embraced global death as the goal, how they succeeded in amassing the Shadows within an experimental facility on Tatsumi Port Island and rejuvenated Death thus creating the Dark Hour and leading to Apathy Syndrome along with their fight against the Shadows on nights of the full moon and the upward struggle through Tartarus…

"We… Makoto-san was given a choice," Aigis murmured as she looked over at the silent captive, "He could have killed Ryoji-san. He could have erased our memories and let the everyone die without ever knowing what was to come. But he didn't. We didn't. We _chose_ to fight Death…!"

SEES traversed the last block of the Tower of Demise, climbing to the very top, all in a last-ditch effort to stop the Fall.

"And we _succeeded_…" But her eyes were full of bittersweetness. "But Death cannot be killed…" She looked at the blue-haired boy tearily. "So Makoto-san… He gave up his life to become the Great Seal, acting as the barrier to prevent Erebus from ever touching Nyx, and so we were all saved… But how could we live when he did not?"

And she told them of the Abyss of Time, of how their regrets caused it to grow and consume the dorm, of how their wills allowed them to traverse to the Great Seal itself and see the truth for themselves, of how they fought against the physical embodiment of humanity's desire for death…

"That's… That's just…!" Yosuke gritted his teeth and his fists. "That's just so _screwed up_…!"

"What kind of bullshit is that?!" Kanji scowled, shoulders trembling. "It's like… It's like when Izanami said we all wanted to live in a lie…!"

"And isn't that what it's all geared towards?" Naoto whispered, turning everyone's attention to her, "Death… Illusions… Even if _we_ do not wish for these things, there will always be those who _do_."

"But it's still wrong!" Rise protested, clasping her hands over her chest.

"To bring about those things because it's the majority's opinion…" Yukiko murmured with disbelief before Chie stamped her feet and shouted, "It's just not fair! For those who don't… For us…!"

**"And yet it happened,"** the Shadow spoke matter-of-factly, **"Then… Now… And in the future…"**

Moonlight glinted off of its mask.

**"Erebus will continue to come. People will continue to wish for Death."** Silver met with red.** "What use was his sacrifice if this continuously happens?"** Anger and sorrow warred.** "Again and again and again… Why did he have to give up his life for a planet full of imbeciles…?!"**

"…Yeah."

Eyes snapped to Makoto's form in shock.

"Yeah," he repeated, face far too blank for the hateful words that left his lips, "Why did I have to die for their ignorance?"

"Makoto-san…?" Aigis whispered, full of hurt and disbelief, "Didn't you… Didn't you want to protect the future…?"

"I did," he answered easily before shrugging, "But why bother when everything's gone to hell anyway?"

"You bastard!" Kanji shouted, no longer feeling sorry for his previous mistake, "How the hell can you say all that?!"

"What about your friends?!" Yosuke snapped, shoulders tensing and veins pulsing, "Do you want to kill them too?! Just because they couldn't do more without putting the entire world at risk?!"

But he ignored them.

"As the Great Seal, I saw and took a lot of crap." His lips pulled back in a sneer. "It was disgusting to see just how low humans could go." Silver eyes darkened. "It wasn't just bullies tormenting the defenseless in school or couples arguing and scarring their children…"

A sense of foreboding descended on them.

"You all may have thought it was bad when you went through your ordeal and came across three murders…" Makoto leveled them with a dead stare. "…but try viewing a constant vision of never-ending pain and death, of rapes and suicides, of tortures and homicides, of starvation and floods and earthquakes and countless lives being hurt and lost every moment of every day for _three_ damnable _years_."

They flinched away, unable to wrap their minds around that.

"Humans," he whispered, "Their history builds on violence."

Having never been through that, how could they respond without sounding incredibly naive and ignorant?

**"Why do p**eop**le hur**t each** oth**er?"

For a second, the Investigation Team was discombobulated by the sudden girlishly childish voice mixed with the cold and harsh tone before a jerk from the Shadow caught their attention.

"Was that…?" Yukiko whispered as blue ears perked up before Teddie called out hopefully, "Mina-chan…!?"

A clawed hand clutched at its head as the blue-haired boy gazed evenly at his reflection, seeing red eyes replace silver.

**"Eve**n thou**gh t**hey'r**e gif**ted wit**h inte**llig**enc**e a**nd **free wi**ll,"** she continued heatedly, **"E**veryo**ne **still s**u**ffers in**s**tead of maki**n**g everyth**in**g better."

_…?!_

Gray eyes narrowed imperceptibly.

_The coffins…!_

They fizzed with static at the edges.

**"I** don't like it," her voice was like a whisper in their ears that became a howl, "_We_ don't like it…!"

**"N**n**gh…!"** The Shadow shook its head, as if trying to shake something off and shards of metal dropped to the floor. **"Yo**u**–!"**

Its grip tightened and Makoto winced before he was abruptly released.

"Makoto-san!" Aigis shouted, terror seizing her heart despite the _hurtpainbetrayal_, and she was ready to dash forward but stopped when he was caught by a clawed hand once more, "…!"

"Heh…"

A small smile graced his lips as the blue-haired boy gazed up at the other fondly.

"Giving up's just not our thing."

Her grasp was gentle despite its monstrous appearance.

"Saying all of those things to piss me off," Minako growled with both indignation and reluctant gratitude, "You can be such a douche sometimes!"

And he laughed, loud and clear and _genuine_.

"Uh… I'm lost," Kanji admitted, staring unabashedly at the two in clear confusion.

"You're not the only one," Chie agreed while jerking a thumb at the mahogany-haired boy, "I think Yosuke's gone catatonic or something."

"Wow, Yosuke," Teddie chirped rather bubbly, "That's a bear-y big yawn!"

That snapped him out of his frozen state but the Magician could only sputter incoherently before rounding on his partner.

"YU!" He shouted, waving his arms around, "What the heck's going on here?!"

"Focus," Yu said simply as Izanagi-no-Okami shifted, "I'm sure everything will be explained after we finish this."

It was then that Naoto noticed the anomaly. "The Shadow…!"

They looked up to see static fizzing across its towering form.

"Its defense is down!" Rise informed them happily, "We should have an easier time damaging it now!"

"But," Aigis whispered painfully, "Makoto-san is… And I…"

Silver met with those blue eyes, clouded with so many clashing emotions, before flickering away.

"It'll be okay, Aigis."

The mechanical maiden jumped upon being addressed by that upbeat voice.

"This needs to end but you'll still be able to talk to Onii-chan for a bit later."

"Minako-san…" the blonde murmured and warmth seeped into her body upon seeing that single red eye sparkle from behind the cracked mask before she hesitantly looked over at the blue-haired boy, "Makoto-san…"

He met her pleading gaze once more before a somewhat wry smile quirked onto his lips.

"It'll be okay, Aigis," he repeated firmly, "I promise I'll tell you everything later."

And her hesitation was cast away as she steeled her resolve and straightened up.

"A**h**…!"

The Shadow abruptly dropped Makoto but he managed to land safely, swiftly dodging to the side to avoid being crushed by those massive clawed hands as the Shadow hunched over.

"Hu**rr**y…**!**"

Spurred by the alarm in Minako's distorting voice, Aigis dashed forward and pulled the blue-haired boy out of the way just as Pallas Athena delivered a God's Hand that slammed into its target's back, shouting to the others,

"Let us strike when the iron's hot!"

"You can count on us!" Chie cheered and Teddie twirled around in a pose, calling out, "Bear-sona!"

Ice shot out from the ground and rained from the sky, following Tomoe Gozen's and Kintoki-Douji's path as they encircled the Shadow, and it screeched inhumanly as its limbs and body were encased in a freezing prison until–

"Agidyne!" "Garudyne!"

–a typhoon of fire enveloped it (once more a courtesy of Konohana Sakuya and Jiraiya), scorching their target before dousing its still form.

"Our turn!"

Kanji smacked his fists together as Yu smirked.

"MAZIODYNE!"

Attracted to the water, a storm of lightening struck the Shadow, brightening up the otherwise Dark Hour and throwing up a veil of scattered debris.

But the obscurity was quickly blown away as a vortex of near-invisible slashes whipped up a gust of wind around the silent being.

"Rise-chan," Naoto suddenly called out as her sharp eyes caught the Shadow's disregard of Sukuna-Hikona's Vorpal Blade, "What's the analysis?"

Already in position, the redhead was silent for a moment, taking in the data that Himiko provided her before gasping, "W-What the–?!"

"That doesn't sound good," Yosuke groaned.

"Physical, fire, ice, wind, electricity, light and dark," Rise panicked, "It's all null!"

"WHAT?!" came their collection shout before Kanji sputtered, "What the fuck are we supposed to do then?!"

White light swirled around the Shadow and Rise yelped,

"It's healing!?"

_This just keeps getting better and better,_ Yu thought with a grimace as the static began to die down, _How can we beat it in one shot?_

Otherwise, it would simply regenerate.

"**D**on't…gi**v**e…u**p**…!"

They looked up to see her red eye gazing at them intensely even as her voice was strained.

"U**s**e…Al–" **"EN**OU**GH!"**

The Shadow snarled, digging its claws into the heavily cracked floor, as gold flecks began to tinge that beautiful crimson color before–

**"MOR**NI**NG ST**A**R!"**

–_power_ exploded before them, threatening to engulf and destroy all had their Personas not covered for them and jumped off of the rooftop.

The top half of Tartarus disintegrated.

"Shit," Yosuke breathed with horror clear in his eyes as they landed safely on ground floor, "If that had hit us, then…!"

"We would've been annihilated," Naoto finished grimly before flinching, "Even so, we weren't unscathed."

Pain wracked their bodies as static plagued their Personas.

Immediately, those who could spammed Mediarama but exhaustion still took its toll on the team.

"That technique, it detonated before it could strike us directly," Aigis informed them with narrowed eyes, "Could it be…?"

_Minako._

Yu looked up at the Shadow and saw it tremble on the crumbling tower as if trying to pounce after them but was being held back by some invisible force.

_Thank you._

His Persona shifted and he tightened his fists, mind racing over what Minako had wanted to tell them before.

_'Use Al'…_ _All attacks would be a waste of energy since it's immune to–_

Gray eyes suddenly widened in realization.

"Glad to see you've got brains in addition to brawn," Makoto drawled (Yu twitched at the jab) and placed a hand on the mechanical maiden's back, "Ready, Aigis?"

"Ready," she confirmed with a nod as crystalline eyes sharpened before they called forth,

"Messiah!"

Pallas Athena vanished in a glow of light that shifted and swirled before shattering to reveal a Persona whose face greatly resembled Orpheus. It was almost wholly white in color and was attached to a solid pillar. A chain of coffins was wrapped around its left arm (and, in the back of their minds, the Investigation Team couldn't help but wonder if it was a fashion statement for the twins).

Deciding to put his mild ire aside, Yu turned to the Shadow and felt a stab of hesitation when he saw that gold eye stare at Izanagi-no-Okami and Messiah with a kind of terror often found when one was faced with the executioner.

But he resolved himself upon meeting Minako's crimson gaze: it was firm, warm, encouraging.

_Time to end this._

He could've sworn she smiled at him.

"Megidolaon…!"

There were two flickers of light before–

!

–a deafening explosion resounded.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Now you people are all like... Where is the Next Scent? Haha! No there isn't one and I want to leave you guys in suspense! :P


	14. Existence

Silence pervaded the area.

_Did we win…?_

Gray eyes squinted, trying to peer through the veil of debris, to see where _she _was, before the young man straightened when the green-tinted sky faded into a natural midnight hue.

_Finally…_

The Dark Hour had ended.

_It's over…_

But…

_…!?_

His breath hitched and he ran forward.

"Minako!"

She didn't respond, laying still amidst the settling dust.

Crouching beside her, Yu pressed two (cold, trembling) fingers against her neck.

There was no pulse.

His heart felt like it stopped and color drained from his face.

"I-Is she…?" squeaked Chie, seeing his expression.

He didn't respond and everyone tensed, feeling a heavy weight drop into their stomachs, as they looked over at the still girl.

_Minako… _Yu clenched his hands into fists and hunched over. _I…_

The brunette looked so peaceful with her eyes closed and her hair spread out, almost as if she were sleeping, but the blackness that stained the floor only made reality that much more grim.

"This is just– Damn it!" Yosuke gritted his teeth and kicked the floor. "You can't be serious…!"

Clouds passed overhead, casting a shadow over the somber group, before the full moon shone a beautiful ray.

Silver eyes flickered and closed briefly before Makoto reached out a hand and–

"…!"

–she jerked upright with a yelp.

"What the heck was that for?!" she almost whined, pouting and rubbing at her reddened cheek, "It hurts…"

Yu gaped for a moment (as did the others) before stuttering,

"M-Minako-san…?!"

Red eyes blinked up at him and he palmed his forehead before laughing weakly. "Geez… Now's not the time for a cat-nap, you know…!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Sulking, the brunette casted baleful eyes over at her smirking Ego. "You didn't have to pinch me though, Onii-chan!"

Makoto merely widened his eyes and tilted his head to the side in mock innocence.

And she sighed unheedingly. "Why do I even–"

Smack!

Clutching both throbbing cheeks, Minako stared wide-eyed at the trembling redhead in front of her.

"Y-You…!" Rise was bristling as she clenched and unclenched her fists. "_You_–!"

Anger prevented her from saying more.

"That was _so _not cool!" Chie hissed, towering over the shrinking girl, "We– We seriously thought that you d-d-d–!"

The word couldn't be forced passed her lips.

"Were you trying to make us angry?" asked Yukiko with a cold glint in her eyes, "Because I assure you that _that _would be a mistake."

Sweating from the sense of danger emanating from the young women in front of her, Minako raised her hands defensively and slowly backed away, laughing nervously.

"N-Now, now, ladies," she stuttered, "N-No need for violence. After all, it's not like I function normally any–"

They cracked their knuckles simultaneously and Minako squeaked, ducking behind her Ego before smacking him on the back when he chuckled with clear amusement.

"…And here I thought girls were supposed to be sensitive," Kanji grumbled quietly, "I mean, why else would they cry so easily?"

"Oh, Kanji-kins," Teddie tutted, shaking his head, "You shouldn't stereotype like that. Besides, your face _is _kinda _bear-some_! Hee hee!"

Sputtering, the fearsome teenager attempted to throttle him but the laughing Shadow simply twirled out of the way, grinning maniacally.

"Still I wonder," Naoto mused aloud, ignoring the childish antics from behind, "Minako Arisato is the Shadow of Makoto Yuki and, as such, her personality likely reflects his inner thoughts. In which case, would her actions not do the same?"

Immediately, three feminine glares locked onto the blue-haired boy who froze comically as Minako covered her lips to stifle her snickers.

_Busted~!_

Yu shook his head at the sight, a fond and slightly exasperated smile playing on his lips, as he wondered if they'd all forgotten about the danger that could still be present.

A movement from his side caused gray eyes to look and meet with brown.

"With everything that's happened," Yosuke huffed with a wry smile, "I dunno whether to laugh in relief or shout in frustration."

Grinning a bit, Yu clasped a hand onto his partner's shoulder and spoke sincerely, "Thanks, Yosuke."

Surprised, the mahogany-haired boy blushed and rubbed the tip of his nose in embarrassment–"Ah, don't mention it…"–before he blinked in confusion. "Wait, for what?"

And the gray-haired boy laughed softly, feeling far lighter than he had in what felt like forever and a day.

Because everyone was _alive_.

* * *

**_Existence_**

* * *

Minako sighed and slumped against the blue-haired boy's back once the female trio backed off before she tilted her face up to gaze at the full moon, whispering, "This is it, huh…"

Makoto glanced over his shoulder at her before closing his eyes and resting his head against hers, murmuring back, "Soon…"

Familiar footsteps caused them to simultaneously look up at one teary-eyed mechanical maiden.

"Makoto-san…" Aigis' voice wobbled just a bit before she tightened her fists and steeled herself. "And Minako-san."

Ego and Shadow glanced at one another before the red-eyed girl nudged the blue-haired boy and chirped, "Explanation time, Onii-chan~!"

Makoto grimaced but manned up nonetheless as everyone gathered around. "How should we go about this then?"

"The beginning would be nice," Yu answered, smirking a bit when silver eyes deadpanned at him.

"The beginning, huh…" A gentle smile appeared on Minako's lips as she laughed softly. "This time, I actually _know_."

And gray eyes turned to her, softening in remembrance of just how tortured she had been before.

Clasping her hands over her chest, the brunette spoke loud and clear, "I am a Shadow, an embodiment of everything Onii-chan feels." Her eyes closed but her expression was as peaceful as ever. "Although I cannot say for sure, I believe that my own awareness may have resulted from his, from _our _childhood." Red eyes fluttered open. "I still have memories of then, of our interactions…"

"From when Makoto-san first…created you?" Aigis asked, hesitating a bit on the verb, "To ease his loneliness…?"

"Aa," answered the blue-haired boy with a nod, "A child's imagination isn't to be underestimated, after all…" He closed his eyes and slouched against the brunette. "In a way, I suppose she was my _imaginary friend_…"

Because what else would you call someone only you can interact with?

"But time passes and people grow up," Minako spoke sadly, "To be honest, even before Onii-chan befriended Aigis and everyone, I was already fading…" Her eyes flickered with pain. "…because everyone said it wasn't _normal_."

It may have been cute for a toddler and acceptable for a child but, for a teenager maturing into a young adult, it was strange (_An imaginary friend? Seriously?_), objectionable (_What a freak!_) and outright reprehensible (_He should be carted off to an asylum_).

"…I ignored them at first," Makoto intoned as he averted his eyes, "'Why should I listen to them when they do not understand?' I'd thought, 'I knew what was real. _She _was real.'" His fists tightened. "'She's my sister. She sees the green night just as I do. No one else does so they must be wrong because this _is _real.'"

"But one can only withstand such pressure for so long," the brunette murmured melancholically, "And eventually…"

"I began to wonder," he continued ruefully, "'Maybe they're right. Maybe _this _is wrong. Maybe all of this is just my imagination.'"

"And, just like that, everything _vanished_," she mourned, pressing her palm over her heart, "Onii-chan suppressed his memories, his feelings, his very _identity_."

_Darkness befell him and silver eyes stared at the coffins in hidden surprise but still he walked on as if this was something that had happened countless times before._

"Your…identity…?" Aigis furrowed her brows, trying to process their explanation. "I'm afraid I do not understand…"

"…I suppose you wouldn't since we'd met in the summertime," Makoto conceded before straightening up, "To be blunt, before I first summoned Orpheus on that fearful night, I may as well have been nothing more than a doll." He smiled wryly. "I felt nothing, simply responding when needed, and I held no attachments, caring for nothing but going through the motions." His eyes softened. "But then…"

"Onii-chan began to feel again." Red eyes sparkled. "He began to have his own opinions, his own ideas, and he became assertive once more." She smiled happily. "He finally stopped rejecting himself and so his potential bloomed."

"By the time I'd met you, Aigis," Makoto confessed as he caught her crystalline gaze, "Life genuinely became precious to me and…"

The gentle look in his eyes caused breaths to hitch.

"I wanted to share that with you."

And though she could not blush, though she had not a beating heart, Aigis felt _warm_.

"Makoto-san…"

Pink lips twitched and quirked into a watery smile as she fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around the blue-haired boy in an almost desperate embrace.

"Thank you…"

_Thank you for being there on that night._

_Thank you for allowing me to be by your side._

_Thank you for teaching me all about life and…_

"…for everything."

Her grip tightened and her breath shuddered as tears shimmered in the moonlight but were hidden when she buried her face into his shoulder, trembling ever so slightly from the pure emotions that welled up within her.

_Thank you._

The others had long since turned away from the two, blushes evident on their cheeks, as they shifted restlessly but didn't have the heart to break up their intimate reunion.

Rubbing at his warm cheek, Yu wondered what to do to get everyone moving when his eyes landed on the red-eyed girl…

_Minako-san…?_

…and his heart ached at the utterly forlorn look on her face.

She seemed to have noticed his gaze for a smile soon pasted itself on her lips. _I'm okay…_

But he wasn't fooled and stepped closer to her.

Minako faltered, seeing the downward tilt to his lips, and dropped her gaze to the floor, wrapping her arms around herself before murmuring, "It's strange, isn't it?"

Yu said nothing, simply listening.

"I should resent them," she continued in a voice barely above a whisper, "I should hate, loathe,_detest _them for taking Onii-chan away from me, for leaving him behind in the end." Her gaze flickered over to the couple before averting again. "But all I feel right now…" Her grip tightened and red eyes dimmed. "…is this _hole _in my chest."

He shifted, brushing his hand against hers, and she smiled with a certain bittersweetness.

"I am a Shadow, an embodiment of everything Onii-chan feels," she repeated to herself, "I am not human. And I shouldn't be aware in the first place and yet…"

Her hand rested over her still chest. "I have an ego, one that was roused during my time as his imaginary friend and cemented during my time here, but I wonder…"

She bowed her head as her eyes dimmed. "Am I truly allowed to live? Even though I'm a contradiction…?"

"Well, that's a dumb question."

Minako jumped and blinked to see Yosuke frowning in front of her.

Seeing her attention on him, the mahogany-haired boy crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, making the brunette tense before she startled when he suddenly grinned and winked at her. "Of course you can! There's no reason you shouldn't be able to."

"That's right!" Teddie toddled up to the stunned girl with an adorable smile. "We bear-y awesome people gotta stick by each other so…" A mischievous glint gleamed in his comically large eyes. "Stay with me! You can take Yosuke's room by the way~!"

"WHAT?!" said boy sputtered before bopping the Kuma on the head, "Like hell that's gonna happen!" He then paused and blushed. "Err… I mean, that is, i-if you wanna stay with me, then–"

A yelp left his lips when Chie kicked him in the back with a scowl. "Get your mind out of the gutters, dummy!"

Quickly turning to her fellow brunette, the martial artist smiled sheepishly. "I know we kinda got off on the wrong foot, but we gals should stick together so feel free to kick Yosuke's butt whenever he's being perverted."

"Hold on!" Yosuke protested, "Why me?! If anything, she should stay away from you and your cooking!"

A vein throbbed and her fists tightened before–

"SAY THAT AGAIN, YOU–!"

"GURK!"

–poor Yosuke got his ass handed back to him.

_There they go again… _Yu chuckled and shook his head. _As energetic as ever…_

"Don't you think," Rise giggled mischievously, "That they're a bit like an old married couple~?"

"They do have that air, don't they?" Yukiko agreed, daintily covering her smiling lips.

"I concur," Naoto chuckled softly as Chie and Yosuke abruptly froze in their comical spat.

Stiffly turning their heads, the bantering duo saw everyone watching them with varying degrees of amusement and blushed darkly before jerking away from one another, stammering protests and apologies.

"Now that they're done playing around," Makoto drawled, "Let's get back on track."

_YOU're the one who derailed us in the first place! _was their collective thought.

But the blue-haired boy didn't notice the glares (or perhaps ignored them) in favor of catching Minako's gaze.

Red eyes sharpened and the brunette straightened up, catching everyone's attention.

"While I understand my origins and such now," she spoke sternly, "There are still some questions with shaky answers. For example…"

"My existence," Makoto said with narrowed eyes, "As you all know now, I sacrificed my soul nearly three years ago. Given that all of you still have the will to live, it's safe to say that the Great Seal is still in effect."

"But the question is _why_," Naoto picked up on their train of thought, cupping her chin thoughtfully, "You cannot be in two places at once and yet here you are."

The blue-haired boy nodded in agreement.

"Can't it just be because of the TV World?" Kanji asked, scratching his head, "I mean, this is a pretty weird place anyway so anything can happen, right?"

"Yes and no," Aigis answered with furrowed brows, "As easy as it is to go in that direction, there are laws to follow here just as one does in the real world."

"She is correct," Naoto supported with a nod, "Gravity, as an example, occurs in the same manner both here and outside, irrespective of our Personas' ability to defy it, and time passes just the same." She then frowned. "There is also the immutable concept of _death_."

That grim subject sobered all.

"…Alright, so," Yosuke spoke up after a moment, "If these laws are in place, then this guy," he jerked a thumb at Makoto who shot him an irritated look, "Shouldn't be here because he should be the Great Seal, which we know is working 'cause none of us has given up on life."

There was a general round of nods.

"Given all of that," he continued, "We're trying to figure out how he's here and the Great Seal at the same time."

They nodded again.

"In that case…"

Yosuke scratched his head.

"I've got nothing."

Cue the face-plant.

"Should've figured," Chie grumbled with a face-palm, "And here I thought you were gonna surprise us all."

"Well, I don't see you coming up with an answer!" Yosuke protested. To which, she huffed, "At least I'm not getting everyone's expectations up!"

Before they could argue (again), Yukiko piped up, "Could you tell us what you remember, Yuki-san? Before appearing here, that is…"

She trailed off when those sharp eyes landed on her, tensing a bit when the blue-haired boy seemed to be assessing her before relaxing when he looked away in thought.

"…I recall," he started after a moment, "Erebus had been annihilated once more." His brows furrowed. "At the time, I was simply relieved to be free from his attacks for a while but…" His eyes narrowed. "There was something else… Something that felt foreign in the Sea…" Frustration appeared on his face as he shook his head. "Beyond that, I can only remember waking here and worrying over the Great Seal."

"The Sea?" repeated the Investigation Team in clear confusion.

Lost in thought, Makoto merely glanced distractedly at them before Minako answered, "The Sea of Souls… It's where all souls come from. And it's where all returns to after death." A puzzled look appeared in her eyes. "At least, that's what we've gathered as the Great Seal." She tilted her head. "We don't have any memories of it to be honest but… It's real." She pressed a hand against her chest. "We can feel it so…"

"Even now?" Yu asked, shoulders straightening.

Question flickered through red and silver eyes before they widened and looked at one another. With a nod, Makoto and Minako closed their eyes and touched palms, pressing their foreheads together. Realizing that something was happening, the others took a step back and soon energy hummed in the air, causing their clothes to sway.

_Black… Blue… Violet… Darkness…_

_The never-ending space stretches on and on…_

_Gold… Red… White… Brightness…_

_…filled with countless lights that shine like stars…_

_A warm glow. A grand gate. Peace._

_…but something–_something_–lurks unseen._

The two separated with narrowed eyes and identical frowns on their lips.

"It's still there," Makoto murmured gravely as Minako nodded in agreement, "Whatever _it _is, though, we don't know."

The Investigation Team traded glanced before Yukiko asked hesitantly,

"Could it be the same as before…?"

"The same as before?" Minako repeated, seeing the group tense and feeling her heart sink. _What is this uneasiness…?_

"Yeah…" Yosuke nodded before realizing that she and her Ego were lost and quickly explaining, "Well, a week or so ago, there was an incident…"

He and the others quickly filled the two in on how someone had kidnapped Rise and Teddie, throwing them into and trapping them in the TV World, along with Labrys, her Shadow and the being that controlled her.

"…so this 'something' that we feel," Makoto concluded, "It might be related to that, huh…"

"Stealing faces…" Minako whispered, "A shapeshifter who can invade the mind and bend Shadows to its will…" She dug her nails into her arms. _In that case, then…before…was I…?_

A weight settled on her head, making her flinch from surprise, before she looked up into warm silver eyes.

"Don't worry," Makoto spoke confidently, "I won't let it get you again, _Onee-chan_."

Unbidden tears sprang up (because when had he last called her that?) and she quickly averted her eyes, blinking furiously to hide them, before she smiled a watery smile and nodded meekly. "…yeah…"

The heaviness in her heart didn't hurt as much but continued to weigh.

"If everything truly is related," Naoto spoke up to get everyone back on track, "Then that being may be even stronger than we'd first suspected." She narrowed her eyes. "But if it truly was the one to pull Yuki-san from the seal, then why not let the world end…? It has already proven that it cares nothing for the human race."

"Unless," Aigis interjected with a frown, "Humans have something that it wishes for."

"Like what?" Kanji grumped with furrowed brows, "I mean, it's already strong as hell, right? What more could it want?"

"Oh!" Teddie bounced a bit, waving an arm around. "Didn't that meanie say something about Sensei being the 'perfect vessel' or another?"

"That's true…" Chie shifted uneasily. "So it wants Yu-kun's Wild Card ability?"

Eyes shifted over to the quiet gray-haired boy.

For a moment, Yu said nothing and gazed at his predecessors before he spoke slowly, "It that's true, then the fact that we're all here makes sense."

Minako nodded. "Onii-chan was a Wild Card before he gave that power to Aigis. I have it because I'm his Sha…dow…"

She trailed off upon remembering.

**_"As expected of the one who attained the Universe."_**

**_"Even though your power was sealed away, you still…"_**

**_"Interesting… How very interesting…!"_**

**_"Show me!"_**

_"Show me," it said… _Her brows furrowed. _But why would it say that? _Her stomach churned. _If that was my Shadow… It that was truly _our _Shadow, then why would it–_

She stiffened. _…?!_

"Minako-san?" Yu questioned, seeing her pale. _What–_

Gray eyes flickered, reflecting something silver, and widened as–

"Minako…!"

–he stepped forward, reaching out an arm–

"MOVE!"

–but it was too late–

Sliiiiiick…

–and that sound, that _disturbing _sound, echoed in his ears.

_No…_

His lips trembled in an effort to speak but his voice was silenced by the sight of Minako pinned…

Drip… Drip… Drip…

…by a blade through her chest as black blood stained and puddled the floor like ink on paper.

"MINAKO!"

Hands shaking as they clutched uselessly at the cold metal, she coughed, spilling precious life liquid before weakly turning her head to look at her assailant with angered eyes.

"Y-You…"

Gold bored into her coldly as a malicious smile widened.

**"Me."**

The sword twisted and she gasped in pain, in fear, as darkness crept up on her vision.

_I…_

Tears spilled from her eyes, blurring her already fading sight.

_Onii-chan… Aigis… Teddie… Everyone…_

Their voices were muffled and everything felt cold, cold, cold.

_Yu…_

Her lips parted, numbly forming words, but her voice was lost…

_I…_

…as she slumped over.

Shock.

They were in shock.

Unable to comprehend.

It happened so fast, too quickly, and they could only stare at the eerily still brunette before–

"ONEE-CHAN!"

–Makoto's anguished cry pulled them out of that soundless world as he charged forward–

"You bas–!"

–but faltered and slammed into the floor just as Minako's body fell gracelessly.

"Makoto-san!" Aigis shouted, appearing beside him and holding him up as he clutched painfully at his chest. There was no visible wound.

**"My, my…"** The sword glinted in the moonlight, twirling in the gold-eyed being's hands and showing off the Shadow blood. **"What scary faces you all have on…"**

"You bastard…!" Kanji growled and took a menacing step forward. "Stop hiding and show your true face!"

An eerie giggle resounded. **"Well, I suppose I can't fool any of you anymore but I quite like this appearance." **Gold fixed onto silver. **"You know, had you lived, ****_you _****would've been a perfect vessel as well."**

"As if…" Makoto breathed shallowly. "I'd care…" He gritted his teeth. "You…" Tears clung to his eyes. "Why did you…to Onee-chan…you–"

He couldn't say it. _Onee-chan…_

Just the mere thought hurt him. _Please hang on…!_

His lookalike said nothing for a moment, simply playing around with its weapon of choice before suddenly pointing the sword at the still figure by its feet.

"Stop…!"

The blade brushed against her pale cheek, leaving behind a cut beaded with black blood, and Makoto flinched, feeling pain prick his own.

**"Hm… Interesting…"** whispered their enemy, **"Is this also because of your power?" **Gold eyes sparkled with curiosity. **"O' Wild Card of the Universe Arcana… You who are so in tune with your other self…" **Its lips curled into a smile. **"How ****_marvelous_****."**

Distorted and cold, its voice sent chills running down their backs.

"What do you mean?" Aigis asked slowly, shifting so that Makoto was safely behind her, "Before, you directed my sister's Shadow to hold the P-1 Grand Prix. You manipulated her." Anger flashed in her eyes. "Now, you took Makoto-san from the Great Seal, you trapped him here and manipulated his Shadow. You manipulated Minako-san." And she readied her firearms. "Tell us… Why are you doing all of this…?!"

Gold eyes blinked in what appeared to be boredom. **"Why…?"**

It tilted its head and hummed. **"Why indeed…?"**

And everyone had to suppress a shudder at the almost deranged look that contorted its face as the lookalike laughed softly before lifting a hand and–

_…!?_

–Minako raised like a marionette controlled by its master.

**"Well now, since you've all provided me with such an ****_entertaining _****experience…"**

They bristled, stomachs churning as blood continued to drip, seemingly endlessly.

**"…I suppose I can clarify a few things for you."**

Brushing away the stray locks that covered her face, it wrapped an arm around her waist and cupped her chin, nuzzling its nose against her neck.

**"Isn't she lovely?"** it cooed almost lovingly but doubtlessly in mockery, **"My beloved puppet, that is…"**

Its lips brushed against her marred cheek–

"You—!"

–lighting flames of ire within the group as they snarled with barely suppressed frustration, energy crackling around them.

Delight glittered in gold eyes.

**"…Of course, that was only after I–How should I say?–****_modified _****her."**

The cold chuckle that left its lips sent more chills running up their spines.

"M-Modified her…?" Teddie stuttered, eyes wide with horror.

And Makoto pursed his lips before hissing, "Her 'memories'."

**"Correct!" **The Malevolent Entity clapped its hands with a grin. **"It didn't take much. Just a tweak, mixing true memories with wistful what-ifs, and– Voila! A new Wild Card was born and…" **It leaned against her again, stroking her collar delicately. **"…she was ****_wholly _****submissive to me."**

The way it emphasized that word caused their stomachs to churn as Yosuke hissed, "You sick son of a bitch…!"

"To play with her identity," Yukiko spoke, trembling with fury, "To play with her very life…!"

It was beyond a loathsome thing to do.

But the morality of the issue went over the Malevolent Entity's head as it trailed a finger along Minako's neck.

**"You know… She was only meant to act as an observer." **It cupped her cheek again. **"But…" **The group tensed but all it did was pat her face lightly. **"I underestimated her will to ****_live_**** when she formed a…'bond'," **disgust laced its voice** "With ****_him_****."**

_"The Persona ability is the power to control one's own heart…" _Igor's words echoed through his mind as Yu narrowed his eyes. _"And the heart is strengthened through bonds."_

Gold then turned to meet silver. **"Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by the way she fought my control."**

Its eyes closed as a smirk appeared–

**"She ****_is _****your Shadow after all."**

–and Makoto tensed–

**"So naturally…"**

–as nails dug into her cut.

**"I had to punish her."**

Blood trickled.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER!"

Electricity crackled and the lookalike jumped away with a vaguely surprised look on its face.

With Izanagi-no-Okami hovering protectively in front of him, Yu breathed heavily, hands shaking and knuckles whitening. His head felt foggy and his body hot. Rage threatened to consume him had rustling from behind not caught his attention.

Like a puppet whose strings were cut, Minako crumpled but was caught by the blue-haired boy when he dived for her and held her gingerly to his chest.

She was cold but…

Silver eyes met gray firmly and Yu nodded, returning his attention back to the enemy and not seeing the way Makoto shuddered in pain. _Onee-chan…_

**"…Not bad,"** the Malevolent Entity complimented, clenching and unclenching its hand to shake off the numbness, **"But why go so far for something so weak-willed?"**

"She's not weak-willed," Yu spoke confidently, eyes storming, "How else could she have saved us time and time again against _your _attacks?"

And gold eyes narrowed. **"I see you understand now."**

"Yeah…" Yu tightened his fists. "I understand now…"

_Why the Shadows never attacked her before…_

_Why she managed to befriend a few…_

_Why they act so strangely around her…_

He lifted his gaze and captured the other's–

"You've been inside of her ever since the beginning."

–and his eyes sharpened dangerously–

"You manipulated every single event, including the deaths of the Cowardly Mayas."

–as he gritted out, "Everything was a game to you and, along the way…

You decided to try and destroy Minako!"

A beat of silence passed before gold eyes were covered by a bloodstained hand.

**"Well,"** it chuckled, **"I did say I had to ****_punish _****her."**

"You fucker!" Yosuke snarled as Jiraiya stepped forward, wind picking up around them, "That stupid fighting tournament, Labrys, throwing Yu in here, pulling _us _in and now–"

"Pulling _you _in?" echoed the other with a tilt of its head, "I did no such thing."

"Don't act innocent!" Chie shouted, stamping her feet, "You're just one big liar–"

"No," Makoto interrupted, grip tightening when he noticed static flickering, "_I _was the one who pulled you guys in then."

"W-What?" The martial artist faltered. "You did…?"

"Explain," Naoto demanded with narrowed eyes.

"Narukami spoke highly of you all," he spoke, breath hitching a bit, "But he also worried that you'd be ambushed here."

"So you came looking for us," Yukiko gasped.

Makoto nodded. "I came across a particular TV that showed a blurry figure and thought that it may have been the entrance he used. I tried my hand at it…"

"And you managed to nab Yosuke," Teddie concluded, "But there were all of us so how did you…?"

A smirk graced his lips. "I'm not human anymore, remember? Just a soul…"

**"A soul with the power of the Universe,"** his lookalike hummed, capturing all of their attention again, **"An extraordinary power that is impossible to comprehend, unique only to you."**

Its eyes glinted.

**"It cannot be matched even by the ****_World_****."**

Yu stiffened but said nothing to deny it before jerking in surprise when the area began to shake.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Kanji shouted, looking around wildly as everything–cars, buildings, streets and the very sky itself–began cracking like a mirror that had been punched.

"Teddie!" Yu called out, "What's going on?!"

"I-I don't know!" stammered the Kuma as he grasped for answers before suddenly gasping, "Wait– Mina-chan!"

They turned to see the motionless brunette far more pale than normal, almost ghostly, as her body flickered with static.

"I-Is she…?" Rise whimpered, hands pressed against her lips.

"Not quite." Makoto grunted before grimacing, "But…"

They jerked a bit when his form too began to waver.

"What–" Aigis gasped but her question was cut short when the blue-haired boy's lookalike chuckled,

**"I suppose that's the extent a spirit could handle away from its core."**

A loud crack and an expanding shadow caused them to look up in surprise as dark-colored pieces came flying at them but their Personas were quick to react and swiftly slammed them aside.

"This is–!" Yosuke gaped. "The sky?!"

The shard of midnight hue with its now-dull stars began disintegrating into nothingness and they looked up to see familiar red and black through the holes.

"The entire area's collapsing," Naoto said gravely, "And the cause is…!"

White flashed and a clang resounded as Izanagi-no-Okami blocked the God's Hand with his blade.

"Messiah!?"

But the opposing Persona no longer radiated light and was covered in a dark aura that bespoke of its controller.

**"I thank thee for such wonderful data,"** the Malevolent Entity spoke mockingly, **"Perhaps next time will be when the curtain closes on this stage so…?"**

It bowed and began to fade.

**"Do try to ****_survive_****."**

Pressure pushed down on them as energy began to gather around the dark copy of Messiah.

_Shit! _Makoto cursed silently before forcing his weakened form to stand and shouting, "Quickly!"

Without another word, he ran away from the building Megidolaon, still clutching Minako to his chest, grimly relieved that the others followed without protest but, barely a block away, suddenly stumbled, crashing to his knees.

"Makoto-san!" He felt familiar hands grab his shoulders and heard her voice hitch. "Your body…!"

Squinting from pain, the blue-haired boy raised a hand to see it flicker before the edges slowly began dissipating into glitters of light.

_Time's up._

He grimaced and looked down at his still Shadow, gently nudging her and calming a bit when long lashes fluttered before dull red peeked out wearily.

"Minako-san," Yu gasped as he crouched beside her, reaching out to brush his fingers against her bloodied cheek.

She gave a twitch of a smile.

"Yu…-kun…" Her voice could barely be heard above the rumbling environ. "Don…give…p…" A shuttering breath. "N…o…ma…te…r…wh…t…"

He wanted to tell her to stop, to conserve her strength, but could only stare in horror–

"I…" Her lips moved silently. "…o…v…y…"

–as she began disappearing into darkness.

_Minako…!_

A violent shake erupted and screams left their lips as the ground shifted–

"NO…!"

–throwing the Investigation Team and Aigis away from the weakened duo.

But Yu and the mechanical maiden both rolled to their feet and immediately shot forward, each reaching out an arm to the fading pair, but was abruptly pulled back by Izanagi-no-Okami and Pallas Athena when pieces of the sky crashed in front of them.

They stumbled a bit but managed to regain their footing and Aigis punched the obstruction, causing it to crack, before both Personas shattered it with their weapons.

"Minako-san!" "Makoto-san!"

They ached inside, hearing their desperately calls, seeing their futile attempts to reach them, and the two gave a bittersweet smile.

"Y…u…" "Ai…g…s…"

The successors dodged a fallen building as their Personas threw aside another piece of the sky and jumped.

"Don…des…a…r…"

But the predecessors vanished into nothingness just as the two landed where they'd been.

_No…_

They fell to their knees…

_No…!_

…as their hearts clenched painfully…

_Nononononono–_

…because they were too late.

"MINAKO…!" "MAKOTO…!"

They didn't see their Personas shattering.

They didn't feel their friends grab and pull them away.

They didn't notice the black and white pattern that signaled their return.

All they knew was that they had _failed_.

_Damn it…!_

A thud seemed to echo in the safety of his apartment as Yu punched the floor, not noticing the sting when his knuckles split because his heart was in so much _pain_.

_I'm sorry…_

Tears fell from shadowed eyes as the mechanical maiden clenched and unclenched her hands, shoulders shivering and lips trembling.

_I'm so sorry…!_

And the others could only stare hopelessly, painfully, at the sight of their crumpled friends, unsure of what to do (because they hadn't–_didn't_–know the red-eyed girl and the blue-haired boy as intimately).

But they knew the torment of loss…

_–Saki-senpaiPopsMotherFatherNanakoalmost–_

…and huddled together in silent grief.

.

.

.

* * *

**Sunday, May 13, 2012**

* * *

Tick…

Tock…

Tick…

Tick…

The steady clicking of the clock should've been soothing, like a lullaby to dreamland, but Yu couldn't sleep.

_(–deep, rich, red–)_

Not after what had transpired in the TV World.

_(–like fire, like blood–)_

A shake of his head dispelled the haunting image and he turned on his side, burying himself into his blanket in an effort to warm the coldness he felt within.

_(–auburn hair, silver clips–)_

He jerked upright, heart pounding and lips thinning, before raising a trembling hand to ruffle his hair.

_(–chirping and smiling and singing–)_

He flinched (her voice seemed to echo in his ears) and pressed his palms against his eyes (because he kept _seeing_ her).

_Minako…_

A low, shaky sigh left his lips.

His hands dropped as he hunched over, resting his elbows against his knees and looking tiredly at the calendar that hung in his bedroom.

Six days, almost a week, that was how long he'd been missing. (His parents had been worried sick. He didn't even remember the excuse they'd used. Something about a robbery maybe…)

Six days, barely a week, that was how long he'd been stuck in the TV World.

_("…being chained… I… It's…painful…")_

That was how long he'd been with her.

_("You've got a good heart, don't you, O~nii-chan!")_

The pain in his head was but a sting in comparison to his torn-up heart.

_I couldn't protect her…_

He could still see it…

_Even though I promised myself…_

…her limp body, that black stain…

_Minako…_

…and the way she disappeared.

_…I'm sorry._

What use was his power, this Wild Card ability, if he couldn't save those he loved?

_"Please excuse me," Aigis intoned, expression cooler than ice, "I must return to report this incident to Mitsuru-san."_

The mechanical maiden had been the first to leave, voice sounding more robotic than remembered and crystalline eyes dull with pain and suffering.

_"We'll be here for a while," Yosuke said, hand gripping Yu's shoulder, "You're not alone."_

His friends, the rest of the Investigation Team, each had given their own support before reluctantly trailing off to a nearby hotel to stay for the remaining days they'd managed to get when the mission first started.

When everything first started…

_"Don't worry," he said, "I've got your back."_

…he'd said that with confidence…

_For a second, she seemed nostalgic before she smiled brightly and pumped a fist, "And I've got yours! You can count on that!"_

…but…

_(–drip, drip, drip, black blood staining–)_

…his words became lies.

Rustling caused him to jump and gray eyes blinked several times in surprise before he realized that he'd left his room and walked into the still-messy living room. The curtains were fluttering from the cool breeze. A sigh left his lips and he shut the window, pausing when he saw it reflect back his pale face and shadowed eyes.

_(–too pale, ghostly, fadingfadingfading–)_

He flinched and backed away, almost stumbling over the coffee table, before finding himself face-to-face with a familiar black, cracked screen.

_I want to go back…_

He reached out a hand…

_Back so I can save her…_

…but was met with cold resistance…

_Because I could've saved her…_

…and he gritted his teeth.

_I could've saved her…!_

But time was ever-flowing.

_Please…_

It stopped for no one.

_…let me go back…_

And it never rewinds.

_…to save her._

Light trickled through the still curtains, signaling the dawn of a new day…

_Minako…_

…as tears of despair finally fell…

_I'm sorry…_

…because all he was left with…

_I failed you…!_

…were memories.

_"My name's Yu Narukami. You are...?"_

_"Minako! I'm Minako Arisato! It's nice to meet you!"_

_What do we do now? What _can_ we do?_

_"We just have to find the strength to light our own way."_

_"You don't have to tell me but…"_

_"I…knew this guy once."_

_"Sorry! I was just– That is, I was– Um, just now, I–!"_

_"Pbfft–! You're a really interesting guy, Yu Narukami!"_

_"Minako! Get a hold of yourself!"_

_"They… They were my _friends_."_

_"Do you like cross-dressing or something?"_

_"I-Idiot!"_

_"You shouldn't overdo it, Minako-san… You're still tired, aren't you?"_

_"Take me with you next time."_

_"Do you want to go out with me?"_

_"A-As friends, I mean! To a festival!"_

_"Yu Naru…ka…mi…?"_

_"STAY AWAY!"_

_"You…all of you…need to…stay away…!"_

_"I can't do that."_

_"Y…u…"_

_"Don…des…a…r…"_

His breath hitched as his eyes shot open.

_Minako…_

Her last words echoed in his ears and his hands clenched into fists.

_"Don't despair," huh…_

It was easier, so much easier, said than done.

_How can I not…?_

With a heavy sigh, he turned to return to his room when–

_…?!_

–he almost slipped but managed to catch himself on the sofa.

Scowling, the gray-haired male reached down, preparing to toss away the offender, when his eyes widened.

_This is…_

His calloused fingers gingerly closed around the soft object as Yu lifted it up to the sunlight.

_…Minako's ribbon!_

His vision blurred with unbidden tears.

_I thought it disappeared when–_his breathed hitched a bit_–when she did…_

Heaviness weighed his heart but lightened when gray eyes fell on the bright red fabric.

_It really is hers…_

Because he couldn't mistaken it with any other: not when it was stained with a darker hue from that time…

_(–dust, shadow, metal, DANGER–)_

…by his own blood.

His fingers brushed against the healed but slightly uneven skin covered by his hair in remembrance.

_At that time, even though she was weakened, even though she was suffering, with this ribbon…_ His grip tightened. _…she cared for me._

So what the hell was he doing by ignoring her last words and letting depression consume him?

_…I'm sorry, Minako._

His lips twitched–

_I really am an idiot…_

–as gray eyes flickered–

_But I won't let you down again…_

–with a light of determination.

_I won't despair._

Not anymore.

* * *

As the door to the apartment closed when Yu Narukami left his home to join up with his friends, the cracked screen flickered with static and glowed a murky yellow hue.

**"The game has only just begun."**

* * *

**Author's Note: This is the end of Fake Me. Long way isn't it? Be good and review for me? Its all I ask for... Huge reactions please? :') Thanks to my partner for helping out. Also I want to apologize for casting that feeling that the story wouldn't update so thank you for your patience. **

**Words from my partner: I apologize for the super-long wait. This chapter was quite difficult to write but, hopefully, it's not disappointing. I think we covered everything though so... Thank you all for reading and until another time perhaps.**

**Now for my explanation... After reminding people in my previous ANs of anyone wanted me to answer a question and none of you came to ask a single one. So most of this is going to be "Why I decided to put it in my story sort of thing. So bear with me. Let's start.**

**Why follow it straight after the events of Arena?**

I found it much easier to connect the dots rather than starting after the ending of the extended epilogue of Golden.

**Chapter Titles and Next Scent?**

I want to distinguish this from other by adding stuff like that. Next Scent came from Persona 4 The Animation which the episode previews would come a television screen with a murky yellow hue. Chapter titles were inspired from songs or it came from our own heads. For example... Strength which is a song from Abingdon Boys School. Guilty Crown is an anime with an opening song The Everlasting Guilty Crown by EGOIST. Soul Phrase by Shuuhei Kita. The rest just fits the chapter.

**Yu X Minako Shipper?**

This was my partner's idea. Just couldn't reject that. I think it worked out for the best.

**Why bring in the Investigation Team and Aigis?**

****The Investigation Team never experience a real loss when they were together. They almost lost Nanako. I also wanted to reinforce the idea that the team had a strong bond and they will do anything for each other. I decided to bring in Aigis since when I planned the story I was going to have Makoto involved. Thought it would be nice for Makoto and Aigis to have a brief reunion.

**Is Minako and Makoto actually related?**

Yes and No. Makoto's real sister died and thus created Minako in his imagination in place of his sister. He ends up treating her like one. Consult my partner for further details if you are still confuse since Gin came up with.

**The Barrier and Radio Towers?**

****Just a ruse. Plus helped developed Minako's and Yu's relationship.

**How did Teddie find the pair in Irregularity?**

The Nose Knows.

**What about the Personas?**

I just love continuity. Yu's Personas were from the Animation and Minako's Persona were from my playthrough of Persona 3 Portable. The Investigation Team's personas were from Arena. Aigis is self explanatory.

**Why Makoto was acting so differently before?**

****Trust is something one must earn. He was testing Yu all along. Since their enemy was a shape shifter, he tested Yu in Encounter.

**Why shift the perspective for A Team's Spirit and Otherworld?**

****I actually hit Writer's Block at that point. I thought it would be interesting to see what would happen if Yu did go missing.

**Minako's note had words taken out... Why?**

At that point... she didn't want Yu to be involved with her ordeal. She revealed more than she wanted to and thus some text was scribbled out.

**Minako recovered too quick at the end of Fairy Tale... Why?**

Yu's injury is what actually was her breaking point.

**The picture book in Strength... Why was it there?**

I actually got the idea from the ED of Black Butler II which had a blue butterfly flying through darkness, through other butterflies and landing on a person's head in the end. I thought it represents the Wild Card pretty nicely.

**The Malevolent Entity gathered more data again?**

As it stands in Persona 4 Arena... We really don't know the true intentions of the entity other than finding the "one true vessel". What happens after that is left toward speculation?

**Why do this story in the first place?**

I wanted Minako to come into continuity. Face it people, we love that lovable character but doesn't get to be canon. That is why I try to stick to continuity game wise to bring her in.

**If I didn't answer a question related to the plot and I left it open... That is speculation for you think it over. Yeah I know I left it with a sequel hook but that doesn't mean I will do one... Out of 34 favorites and 37 follows (Please note that people could do both) only 8 wonderful people (you guys know who you are) spend time to review and I can assume that they want it. That seems... low. I'll only do it with definite support. Unless you people want to write the sequel yourself go ahead... I don't know where this story will go. Go wild with your imaginations people... I'm not stopping you. Sayonara...**


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